What is the relationship between prayer and consecration?
At times, God draws consecrations from our hearts when we are earnestly seeking Him for an answer to our petitions. In 1 Samuel we read about Hannah, a godly woman who had a need in her life. She wanted a son, but she was unable to have children. She prayed to the Lord, and in her heart was a real consecration. She promised God that if He would give her a son, she would give him back to the Lord. God answered her prayer and blessed Hannah and her husband with a son, Samuel. Then what? It is one thing to consecrate something precious to the Lord, but it is another thing to deliver on that promise. Hannah could have found excuses, but she did not. She took Samuel to the temple for the Lord’s service. We read of the confrontation between God’s prophet, Elijah, and the prophets of Baal. In response to Elijah’s challenge to see whether God or Baal would answer by fire, the Baal-worshippers prayed all day. Baal did not answer their prayers because he could not answer. Then Elijah repaired th
