Scripture: 1 Samuel 1:9-20 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house. In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”
“Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”
Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”
She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.
Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”
Devotion: The prayer from today’s Scripture passage is a beautiful example of an answered prayer. Hannah, who desperately wanted a child, cried out to the Lord. She did not know how He would answer. He could have blessed her with a child, which was her heart’s desire, or He could have had an entirely different plan for her. She promised to give her son to the Lord’s service if He would bless her with one.
But one thing that we never hear from Hannah is a question about God’s goodness, faithfulness, or presence. You would think that after years of not having a child, she would have doubted God. It is easy to fall into that trap. Have you ever been in a season, of longing or unanswered prayer, and wonder where God is? You may start to feel as though He has forgotten you, has forsaken you, or maybe doesn’t exist at all.
Hannah ended up receiving the answer she desired for her prayer. So, it may be tempting to look at her story and think how easy it must have been for her to believe since she was eventually blessed with a son. But she had year after year of praying with seemingly no answer. Rather than simply viewing this as a story of prayers fulfilled, though it is certainly that, we can learn from Hannah in that she continued to trust God and cry out to Him through all those years. In fact, she said, “I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.”
No matter what comes our way, let us be reminded that we have a Savior who cares about us and longs for us to pour out our hearts to Him.
Reflect:
- What are some prayers that God has answered in your life? What are some that He answered differently than you expected?