One of the great lessons we learn from the book of Samuel is that of the faith of a mother. Hannah had been unsuccessful in her efforts to conceive a son and in her desperation turned to the Lord, covenanting to give her son into the service of the Lord should she be given the opportunity to have one. The Lord heard her prayer and granted her a son whom she named Samuel. Hannah was true to her word, and when Samuel was of age, she sent him to serve in the temple under the direction of Eli. Hannah's faith and fidelity to her promise qualified her to become the mother of the man who would become not only a great prophet in Israel, but the prophet who would anoint and consecrate two of the greatest kings of Israel; Saul and David.
There is great power in prayer and in covenants. As we ask our Father in Heaven for the righteous desires of our hearts, He will hear our prayers, and according to His will answer them. This may seem like a bit of an ambiguous process, having to depend upon the will of the Lord to receive that which we desire, but when we are following the "righteous desires of our hearts" our wills are uniform with the Lord's, we desire the same things He does. The answers will then invariably be yes; though the yes does not always come right away, it does come.
This is true of the covenants we make at baptism and in the temple, and also true of the other righteous desires we may have in our lives, such as for our families, for our desires to work and provide for ourselves and our families, our desires to receive an education, and finally to have a fullness of joy and return to live with our Heavenly Father once our time on this earth is finished.
Your Father in Heaven loves you, and is constantly seeking to provide you with those things that you need and those things that He desires for you to have. As you respond by coming unto Him, much as Samuel did when the Lord called, you will find the Lord.
- Brother Gough
