What You've Been Through Is Exactly What You Prayed For
You feel ashamed for even hoping all this time. Then the Word shines upon you—"Whosoever believes on Him shall not be ashamed." So you carry on, until waiting again feels humiliating.
“And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.” 1 Samuel 1:6
You cannot possibly ignore this pattern in God's behavior:
The chosen ones of God always seem to be born to women who were barren—beyond their natural time, but not beyond God’s time.
Isaac from Sarah, Joseph from Rachel, Samuel from Hannah, and John the Baptist from Elizabeth.
They were childless past the expected window of fertility because of what they would give birth to, and the fruit of their wombs had been chosen before it was even formed.
Today, I want to focus on Hannah, the mother of Samuel, because her story feels especially relevant.
It is one thing that the devil keeps you barren (most often it’s legal attacks incurred by iniquities like abortion, occult practices, etc.); it is another thing when God shuts your womb.
You can repent and fight the devil by the power of God, but when God keeps you barren, who can fight for you?
The chosen will not enter the world outside of prophetic timing. There’s no accident in a chosen one’s life that will not be used to fulfill his purpose.
Like Samuel, Hannah was chosen, and “delay” seems to be common in a chosen person’s life.
In this article:
- Why were the Israelites enslaved for 430 years instead of 400 years?
- Chronological order is the opposite of how things truly happen
- You prayed for what you prayed for because it’s already in your future
- What you’ve been through is exactly what you prayed for
Why were the Israelites enslaved for 430 years instead of 400 years?
Delay, by its definition, means that nothing in your life grows—except your age. And it has two causes:
- It’s a demonic attack, legal or illegal.
(If you frequently dream of old schools—especially schools before college—it’s a strong sign that you may be under the control of a spirit of delay.) - It’s divine and follows a prophetic timing. In this case, it’s not a real “delay,” but it feels like one from an earthly perspective.
To learn more about legal vs. illegal demonic attacks—and how to defeat the spirit of delay—check out this post:
Almer Alice He
When God told Abraham that his offspring would be enslaved in a foreign land for 400 years, He had already prepared the birth of Moses.
But the Israelites were actually enslaved for 430 years—not 400. Why?
Because of the first cause of delay: demonic attack.
God is precise in His word. When He said 400, He meant 400—not 401, not 421.
So the Israelites were delayed by 30 years.
Now, let me ask you another question: how long was Moses in hiding after he killed the Egyptian?
40 years.
When Moses first stood up for his fellow Israelites, they rejected him because they didn’t recognize their deliverer:
“Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?”
—Exodus 2:14
Those 400 years were prophetic. The extra 30 were not.
Thirty years—many people today have been delayed for 30 years and still think they are waiting on God.
Chronological order is the opposite of how things truly happen
In Hannah’s case, it’s the second cause—divine and prophetic, because the Bible tells us plainly, “the Lord had shut up her womb.”
Now the first question you’ll ask is: Why?
You just answered yourself: Because of Samuel.
Hannah prayed for a baby boy—that’s only partially true—no, she actually prayed for a prophet.
Yes, the Lord shut her womb before she was desperate enough to make that vow, but remember, God does not operate in time but in eternity, and everything on earth, the so-called “chronological order,” happens upside down in the spirit and eternity—
So indeed, Hannah prayed for a prophet, and hence, God answered her prayer by giving her and Himself a prophet.
Remember, men cannot without God, but God will not without men. From the day God gave men dominion over the earth, He acts upon prayer requests, which is an invitation for Him to interfere with earthly affairs.
To answer Hannah’s prayer, God must shut her womb for a certain season, because prophets don’t just come to the world like everybody else. They must be born at a prophetic timing to fulfill a divine purpose.
And God was waiting for the time to send Samuel to Israel.
You prayed for what you prayed for because it’s already in your future
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrew 11:1
This verse has been going through my mind over and over this past month, and I realize—I live this Word. Each day is the substance and evidence of my prayers.
When you pray, you know in your heart immediately that the Lord is pleased with this desire of yours and has gladly granted it.
Why do you perceive His joy in approving your request?
