As we continue in our study of prayer, I want to move next to Hannah. Now, chances are, you’ve grown up hearing about her and her heartfelt prayer for a son, so I won’t go into too much detail. But in case you’ve never heard it, Hannah’s story can be found in I Samuel 1 -2, where we find her example of intense prayer. She was married to a man, Elkanah, who loved her, but she was unable to have children.

Elkanah’s second wife, Peninnah, used Hannah’s inability to bear a child, and the fact that it bothered her, to torment and mock her to the point where Hannah was physically ill from grief and hurt; she couldn’t eat, and she couldn’t stop crying. Hannah finally got so upset from it that when they went up to sacrifice that year, she went into the temple and prayed so ferociously from her heart that Eli, the high priest, thought she had been

Elkanah’s second wife, Peninnah, used Hannah’s inability to bear a child, and the fact that it bothered her, to torment and mock her to the point where Hannah was physically ill from grief and hurt; she couldn’t eat, and she couldn’t stop crying. Hannah finally got so upset from it that when they went up to sacrifice that year, she went into the temple and prayed so ferociously from her heart that Eli, the high priest, thought she had been

Elkanah’s second wife, Peninnah, used Hannah’s inability to bear a child, and the fact that it bothered her, to torment and mock her to the point where Hannah was physically ill from grief and hurt; she couldn’t eat, and she couldn’t stop crying. Hannah finally got so upset from it that when they went up to sacrifice that year, she went into the temple and prayed so ferociously from her heart that Eli, the high priest, thought she had been drinking However, God listened to her prayer, in which she vowed to give God her first son, and gave her a son. Hannah in turn kept her part of the vow, and when Samuel, her son, was weaned, she took him to live with Eli in the house of the Lord.

Hannah is an excellent model of prayer for several reasons. Now, I know most of you probably aren’t looking to have children anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t heavy matters on your heart that are pressing and upsetting you. Just because you are young doesn’t mean you don’t bear the weight of grief, want, illness, or despair. In fact, because you are young, you might be feeling them more so, because they’re new to you. Hannah went through emotional and physical stress, and it affected even her eating habits (vs. 6-10).

Right now, you might be going through the most difficult time of your life, and you feel like no one can help. There might be a need for something in your life, and it’s all you can think about, such as an illness in your family, a financial struggle, or even something academic, like a big midterm coming up. Well, God is here to help all of us with whatever we ask Him to help us with. Look at these verses:

Hannah went through emotional and physical stress, and it affected even her eating habits (vs. 6-10). Right now, you might be going through the most difficult time of your life, and you feel like no one can help. There might be a need for something in your life, and it’s all you can think about, such as an illness in your family, a financial struggle, or even something academic, like a big midterm coming up. Well, God is here to help all of us with whatever we ask Him to help us with. Look at these verses:

“But Hannah answered, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit… I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard you servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.’ Then Eli answered, ‘Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.’ And she said, ‘Let your servant find favor in your eyes.’ Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad” (I Samuel 2:15-18 ESV).

Though Hannah was greatly grieved, she was told to go in peace, and she did. She was so greatly peaceful about it that she physically felt better, enough to start eating and stop crying over her worries (see the parallel between verses 7 and 18). That peace is what Paul mentions in Philippians 4:6-7: “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard you hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”. This is a peace that is only attained through prayer, if that is any clue as to how powerful and necessary prayer is to the Christian’s emotional and spiritual well-being.

So, then, Hannah’s first example that we should follow would be that we should be “casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for You” (I Peter 5:7). God is willing to give you peace; you just need to ask Him for it.

The second example for us to follow would be how fervently and deeply Hannah prayed. Hannah was emotionally invested in her prayer, and she was undistracted (at least, until Eli showed up and accused her of being drunk). It says of Hannah that she was “speaking in her heart” (I Samuel 1:13), and in verse 15 that she was “pouring out [her] soul before the Lord.” She was emotionally, mentally, and whole-heartedly invested in her prayer, which is something that a lot of us don’t even seem to have time for nowadays.

I mean, sure, we probably say a prayer before bed and before each meal, but do we really go lock ourselves away just specifically to pray and build a relationship with God? Especially in times of need – the more difficult times get, the more the Christian woman should be talking to the One who can actually do something about it, no matter how old she is.

I mean, sure, we probably say a prayer before bed and before each meal, but do we really go lock ourselves away just specifically to pray and build a relationship with God? Especially in times of need – the more difficult times get, the more the Christian woman should be talking to the One who can actually do something about it, no matter how old she is.

Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving in chapter two, after she has given her son back to the Lord and fulfilled her promise, is our third example to follow. When God blessed Hannah with a son, she didn’t just take him and focus all of her time on him, forgetting about the One who gave her the son. No, she kept her end of the bargain and even rejoiced in it.

“My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none beside you; there is no rock like our God.” I Samuel 2:1-2.

Hannah thanked God and praised Him for her blessings. I’m afraid that, all too often, even when we do go to God in deep prayer and ask for His blessings and aid, we receive it and forget to say thank you. As a waitress, I cannot overemphasize the power of a simple thank you; when I bring a table their order, and they don’t say ‘thank you’ or even smile, it’s enough to throw me off for the rest of the time they’re there. When you thank God for what He has done for you, you are acknowledging where your true blessings come from, and that also will give you peace; the peace of knowing that God is in charge, not you.

One word before we close up this lesson on Hannah: Hannah made a very powerful, sacrificial vow before God, one that many women might not be able to keep in reality. Vows to God are a very powerful thing, and I would not recommend making a promise to God if you don’t know for certain that you have the strength to carry it through. Under the Old Law, there was a way from a woman’s father or husband to null a vow she had made before God (Numbers 30:2-15), but we aren’t under the Old Law anymore.

We don’t really need to make vows before God, because we’re under a better law now, where His words are written on our hearts, and we are able to cultivate personal relationships with Him. But if you feel the need to do so, be sure that you keep it. Ecclesiastes 5:4 says “It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.” If there is one thing we can learn about God through studying His word, it is that He is faithful, and will always keep His promises.

(If you would like a supplement to our study on prayer, because it is a huge topic, and it’s difficult to know where to start, I would recommend Becky Blackmon’s book “The Begging Place.” )

• Author
• Recent Posts

Sarah Smith

Sarah is a 20-year-old native Texan. she lives in Fort Worth and attends Smithfield church of Christ. She is studying her basics at Tarrant County College, and is hoping to transfer to a four-year university afterward to pursue a career as a librarian. In her spare time, she loves to read and watch movies. Her favorite Bible verse is Lamentations 3:22-24.

Latest posts by Sarah Smith (see all)

• Everyday Christianity - August 14, 2017
• In the World, Not of It - January 2, 2017
• Why Do We Take the Lord’s Supper? - October 3, 2016