Hannah's Devout Prayer (1 Samuel 1:9-18)

4/10/2010 7:17 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  A devout prayer

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference:  1 Samuel 1:9-18

 

            Message of the verses:  “9 ¶  Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 10  She, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. 11  She made a vow and said, "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 son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head." 12  Now it came about, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13  As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14  Then Eli said to her, "How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you." 15  But Hannah replied, "No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD. 16  "Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation." 17  Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him." 18  She said, "Let your maidservant find favor in your sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.”

            This prayer that Hannah lifts up to the Lord is one of the great prayers that is recorded in all of the Scripture, as in this prayer in which Hannah pours out her heart to the Lord she is submissive to the will of the Lord and what He wants her to do, and also she offers a sacrifice in her prayer in that she makes a vow to give back the child that is given to her by the Lord.  This prayer shows the importance that women had who are mentioned in the Scriptures.  There are women who are very godly and there are women who are evil recorded in the Scriptures, and Hannah was very godly, and this prayer that she lifts up to the Lord will change the nation if Israel.

            In yesterday’s SD I wrote about the importance that women in the Scriptures who did not yet have children played in the history of the nation of Israel.  I believe that because of the fact that Hannah could not have children that she took this time and prayed to the Lord and sought what His will would be for her and the child that she would eventually have.  I am sure that it was harder for her to give up this child after he was born that to keep on being barren, and yet this was what the Lord planed for her and this child.  Hannah was playing a very important role in the nation of Israel.  This role was played earlier by Sarah, and Rebecca, and also Rachel, for all of their offspring after being barren for a long time played important roles in the children of Israel. 

            Hannah lived up to her name in her dealing with her barrenness, as she was a woman of great grace, and it showed in this wonderful prayer.

            On the other hand Eli shows one of the many reasons that God would take the priesthood from his family as he believes that Hannah is drunk, but when he finds out he makes no effort to apologize to her.

            Dr. Wiersbe gives a quote from John Bunyan in his commentary which says, “In prayer it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.”  Hannah’s prayer was like these words of John Bunyan.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  The way that Hannah handled the problems in her life is a wonderful example of how I am to handle the problems in my life, and that is to grow closer to the Lord when troubles come and not grow farther from Him.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. I want to trust the Lord in the troubles that He allows me to go through knowing that He is in charge of all things both big and small.

 

4/10/2010 7:51 AM