Repost: The Secret Weapon
You may have never heard of him but if you ever heard, “Going to a Go-Go” by The Miracles, “My Girl” by The Temptations, “Dancing in the Street” by Martha and the Vandellas, “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” or “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye just to name a few, you’ve certainly heard of his music.
His name was James Jamerson and he was an African American bass player who helped create most of Motown Records’ biggest hits in the 1960s and early 1970s. His distinctive style of playing bass is often referred to as Motown’s “Secret Weapon,” particularly since he was not credited for much of his work until later in his career. “He is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history.” Mr. Jamerson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000, almost twenty years after his death.
In 1 Samuel 1:1-20 NIV, we learn of a humble servant of God named Hannah, who desperately wanted a child. The story tells how she turned to the most powerful secret weapon that we as believers have at our disposal. Have you guessed it yet? I’ll give you a hint; it’s more universal than music. One definition of a weapon is “something used as a way of getting an advantage in a situation.” This secret weapon not only helped Hannah gain an advantage but, most importantly, lead to the birth of her son, Samuel. It’s a language of sorts that gives voice to our inner thoughts, secures them with a ribbon of faith then supernaturally delivers them to our Heavenly Father. What is this priceless tool? It is none other than prayer! Which is often defined as “a spoken or unspoken communication with God.” How many times have you heard someone say, “There’s power in prayer?” But…do you really believe it?
When Eli, the temple priest, accused Hannah of being drunk because she prayed silently while her lips moved, she denied it and exclaimed, “…I was pouring out my soul to the Lord,” 1 Samuel 1:15b NIV. As Daughters of Christ, we have the same power in prayer as Hannah. Most importantly, we must also“pour out our soul to the Lord.” Whether our prayer is for that future husband and/or family, capital to launch that new business, deliverance from debt, etc. We must remember our secret weapon is prayer!
There are four important factors, however, to remember when we pray:
1.We must pray about everything.
Want a great tutor for your child? Pray about it! Want the Lord to reveal ways in which you can save money on a tight budget? Pray about it! Debating about which ministry to join at church? Pray about it! Want deliverance from that rude and nasty boss? Pray about it! Why take on the worries of this world, when God is the only one equipped to handle them.
2.Whatever we pray for, we must ask God’s will.
Why is that even important? Who better to determine what’s best for us than our Holy Creator?
3.We must wait on Him.
Imagine you are hired to star in a movie with a famous director. During filming, you perform your lines before the director even says, “Action!” Then you continue to act long past the time he says, “Cut!” How do you think this would affect your overall performance? It would be disastrous and cause the entire production to be in chaos. Can you see where I’m going with this? In the scenes of our everyday life, we must wait for direction from the Lord. This is the only way we will experience the life God intended.
4.We must trust in His answer, regardless if it’s yes or no.
Our deliverance does not always come through God saying, “yes.” Sometimes, our biggest blessings come when He tells us, “no!”
