1 Samuel 1:18 (NKJV)

“…So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.”

We need to respond to God when God responds to us. We mustn’t just keep praying endlessly for the sake of praying. Praying for a particular burden does not have to be endless. As we pray, we also need to sense how God is responding to us. Is God asking us to wait? Is God asking us to press on in prayer? Is God saying No? Is God inviting us deeper into spiritual warfare? Is God saying, Yes? Is God silent, and why? As we seek God’s face, we should be sensitive to how He’s responding to us, and our actions and attitudes should always reflect God’s response.

For Hannah, she prayed her heart out, but when she got to the point that she recognized that God had heard her, she stopped praying. God had responded. She knew somewhere in her spirit that the situation had been resolved, and there was no point in merely fulfilling a religious obligation to keep praying. She washed her face and became bright. Her countenance was transformed because God had responded. And although the real result had not yet manifested, she was confident that God had answered her and that all was okay. Such faith. Such trust. Such discernment.

“Oh Lord, help me hear You. Help me discern Your response to my prayers. Help me know Your mind on each issue that I bring before You, and teach me how to respond based on what You are saying. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.”