Day 21- Hannah's Prayer
Today I read 1 Samuel chapters one and
two. 1 Samuel is written more like a novel and the
story flows and unfolds fast. Just reading the first
two chapters today, I was a little frustrated at first
because I wasn’t sure what I should be focusing
on. I realize everyday I’m in God’s Word
won’t be an amazing revelation for me, but every
day I’m in His Word, I am learning more about
Him and growing closer to Him.
I went back and reread those two chapters
again this evening and what struck me was Hannah’s
prayer for a child. It wasn’t praying for a
child that struck me, but the passion, desperation
and honesty of her prayer. She was a very faithful
and loyal woman of God and had been praying for a
child for a very long time. She wept and cried out
to God. She even offered her child to God.
Now, I know a lot of people make promises
to God like you scratch my back I’ll scratch
yours kind of thing. But God is not a genie in a bottle
here to grant our every command, and this was very
different. This was a woman already dedicated to God
and fully prepared to follow through with sacrificing
her child to God. And when God did bless her with
a child, she in fact did give him up to God for lifelong
service.
Because of Hannah’s obvious dedication,
loyalty, commitment and passion towards God, I wish
I could have heard her prayers to Him. In chapter
2:1-10 we get a glimpse of Hannah’s beautiful
praises and prayer to God, but I’m just imagining
what her prayers might have been like before she was
blessed with a baby. She was probably already praying
not just for a baby, but a child that would indeed
live his life out for God. She was probably already
praying for the baby’s character, hoping with
expectation that God would indeed one day give her
a baby.
It makes me think about the whole situation
and how God works. He “closed her womb”
and she was still faithful to God and committed to
worshipping Him. Her prayers were very passionate
and she gave up her child to God. That child became
a Judge and great Prophet of unparalleled character
and worth. That child, Samuel, heard the voice of
God from an early age and went on to anoint David
as king of Israel, David who was a man after God’s
heart.
When life doesn’t seem to be going
the way we want it to, it’s usually because
God has something more in store. And I’ve found
in my life, that something more is always so much
greater than what I can imagine on my own.
Thank You Lord for allowing me to be
in a position that makes me vulnerable, scared and
dependent on You right now. In those times when I
cling to You, You take me out of my comfort zone and
grow me in ways I never thought I could grow. I used
to be scared of being scared, but now Lord, I know
it’s an opportunity for me to trust You more.
I have no idea what You will do with my situation,
but I trust You to use me in this place to glorify
Yourself. Thank You Lord.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
