Q:   Is it possible to make promises to God to fulfill something or refrain from something?

A.  It’s really all about your heart.

Some people make promises to God, but they don’t really mean it. It’s similar to how many people treat New Year’s Eve resolutions. Someone might say, “I’m never going to eat another piece of cake again. No sugar or white flour will pass these lips. I’m going to be so healthy this whole year!”

But then on the 3rd of January, somebody brings her a cake, and she says, “Well, I have to eat this cake. It’s going to hurt my friend’s feelings if I don’t.”

That person really wasn’t committed in her heart to not eating cake, so she gave up on that promise the moment it got challenging. If that is the way you are making promises to God, then it really is empty, and it’s not going to mean anything no matter how many nice promises you make.

But on the other hand, we can be like Hannah. The one thing she wanted more than anything was a baby, and she prayed to the Lord, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.”

She promised to give Him the thing she most wanted, and when that baby, Samuel, was born, she proved her commitment and handed him over to Eli and to the service of the Lord. Do you know what God did from that? He raised up a powerful prophet, and He even gave Hannah five other children after Samuel.

When we make promises to God, if we are committed in our hearts like Hannah, then we will keep those promises. What is even better is that when we do that, even when it seems like we are letting go of the most expensive thing we possibly can, He always gives back more. You cannot outgive God.