Have you ever promised to do something for God in anticipation of answered prayer? You make a commitment to fulfill some tasks or give some gifts if God answers your request. This is what vow means to many people, and it is a long-standing practice observed in the scriptures and around us.

Here, I want to show you how to make acceptable vows before God. I will be explaining what a vow is and whether it is important or necessary for a believer to make vows. You will discover the lessons in the vows made by Hannah and Jephthah. Finally, I will share biblical tips for making acceptable vows before God.

What is a Vow?

A vow is a commitment to fulfilling your part of God’s will in every situation. It is your agreement with the divine order of things.

Is it Compulsory for Every Believer to Make Vows?

According to the scripture in Ecclesiastes 5:5 (NET): “It is better for you not to vow than to vow and not pay it.” From this verse, it is clear that making vows is not a necessity. However, the scriptures encourage vows with the condition that you must redeem them (Ecclesiastes 5:4).

Vows are not grace-motivated; they are work-motivated. While they are good, they won’t make you acceptable or perfect before God. For instance, promising to serve God all your life if He heals your body will not make you acceptable or perfect before God. God won’t heal you because you promised Him your life; He will heal you because Jesus paid the price.

Some preachers force people to vow something in return for God answering their prayers. This is outright wrong. Jesus never asked anyone to promise what they would do before or after a miracle. You should make a vow as a reflection of your commitment to God and not to make God do anything for you.

A father or husband has the right to disapprove of a vow, and God says He will forgive the one who vows (Numbers 30:3-8). Therefore, we must be properly guided not to elevate vows as a criterion for obtaining God’s blessings.

The Vows of Hannah and Jephthah

Hannah’s Vow

“Hannah made a vow: ‘LORD of the Heavenly Armies, if you just look at the misery of your maidservant, remember me, and don’t forget your maidservant. If you give your maidservant a son, then I’ll give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and a razor is never to touch his head.'” (1 Samuel 1:11 ISV)

Hannah’s vow was in line with the will of God. It is God’s will that every first male of the womb be given to the Lord (Exodus 13:2), and there was a Nazarite vow according to God’s command in Numbers 6:1-21. Her vow was acceptable before God because it agreed with divine intention.

Jephthah’s Vow

“Jephthah made this solemn vow to the LORD: ‘If you truly give the Ammonites into my control, then if I return from the Ammonites without incident, whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me will become the LORD’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.'” (Judges 11:30-31 ISV)

Jephthah’s vow was vague and did not represent an intelligent offer to God. Anything could have come out of the door of his house. It could have been an abominable animal not worthy to be given to the Lord. As we found in Judges 11:34-39, his daughter came out to meet him, and the end was sorrowful. God does not like such forms of vows.

Please understand that none of these two vows motivated God to grant them victory. God would have done for them what they requested without their vows. Hannah’s vow supersedes that of Jephthah because it was in line with God’s command. It was a commitment to do according to divine expectation for firstborns.

How to Make Acceptable Vows Before God

To make acceptable vows, you need to first realize that vows won’t change God nor make Him do what He doesn’t want to do. Your vow can only increase your commitment to God if done the right way. Please understand that God does not require a vow to do anything for you. What God requires from you is obedience and not sacrifice.

We are under grace and not under the law. Vows are works (performance) motivated, while obedience is grace-motivated. The New Testament believer should not relate to God by vows but by obedience to His commands, which is grace-motivated. We have no such commandment in the New Testament on making vows or trying to pay for answered prayer.

But Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I didn’t come to destroy them, but to fulfill them,” (Matthew 5:17 ISV). By this, He meant that good works are still valid today despite being under grace. Vows are a form of good works when carried out according to the will of God.

To make an acceptable vow before God, you must be spiritual about it and do it according to God’s expectations of you. It should be your response and commitment to what God requires of you. Let your vow be according to God’s will and not just a personal impulse as you feel. Just like Jephthah made a wrong and unacceptable vow, God will not accept any vow that is not in line with His expectations of you. Whenever you make a vow, you must ensure that you abide by it.

Conclusion

God loves you and won’t put any heavy burden on you. He doesn’t require any vow from you to bless you; all He wants from you is to obey His commands, which are not burdensome. But if you desire to make a vow before God, let it align with His expectations of you and see it as worship to God and not an avenue to buy His favor. May the Lord grant you the grace to serve God acceptably in Jesus’ name.