Day 16 of Prayer

Barrenness to Blessedness 

“Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me. I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and has heard my prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!” Psalm 20-66:16 NIV 

Throughout the scriptures we see many women who were barren and unable to bear a child. Sarah, wife of Abraham, didn’t have a child until the age of 90. Rebekah was barren for 20 years of marriage until she bore children. Among other women were Rachel, Manoah’s wife, Hannah, and Elizabeth. You can hear the anguish of the barren women who felt purposeless, lonely, and a reproach among people. 

These couples cried out to the Lord and poured out their souls for God to give them a child. God heard and was moved by the prayer of these men and women. We read from scripture that Isaac plead and interceded to God. As a result, Sarah conceived Jacob. He heard the cry of Rachel and Joseph was born. Hannah was sick and tired of being provoked for her barrenness. Samuel 1:10 reads, “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. She bore Samuel. God used the barrenness of these women to bring glory to Himself. What was once an empty womb turned into conceived children that blessed the nations. 

Maybe there is a promise God has made you that you have yet see come to past. Perhaps there is something specific He put on your heart that seems like a lost cause. Like these women, there may be just that one thing your heart has always desired but now it has been so long that unbelief has consumed that area. Maybe you are infertile and can’t bear a child. Have you considered God is trying to bless you? Maybe the thorn in your flesh is meant to bring glory to God. Through this emptiness God wants to bring you to a place of intimacy that He will use to bless nations. Today, let’s approach God with our barrenness. Let’s approach Him like Hannah did. God doesn’t need our dishonest reserved prayers. He desires honest prayers. He knows our heart’s desires. He wants us to pour out in prayer out of our deep anguish. 

Prayer: Take some time and pray what over what God brought to your mind through this devotional. Approach God with honesty. He can handle your frustration. He loves you and cares for you deeply.

Written by Tayler Simons