What causes us to pray fervently? What causes us to cry out to God in desperation, wanting it so badly, that you would think I was drunk? How many times have you poured out your soul before the Lord praying like Hannah?
Have you ever wanted something so deeply that you cried out to God in desperation? One woman’s powerful prayer of faith caused a breakthrough in her life, which changed a nation.
Throughout the Bible, there are many stories of strong, heroic, and faithful women, powerful in prayer, and strong in faith. Women who will continue to teach us how to live authentic, faith-filled lives.
But Hannah trusted God without doubt or concern. Her reverent fear of the Lord was just one more quality of her godly character.
Women who will teach us how to pray the answer. No matter what our circumstances are, we can find ourselves in their stories. Every women experience circumstance that causes grief. Many times, we simply do not understand why the desire of our hearts is not met. But in the life of Hannah, we can see that God knows our hearts, that everything has a purpose and that trust in Him is never misplaced. Just like Hannah, her Prayer to God led her to answered prayer.
Prayer is a powerful way to change things. If prayer can change a life, it can change a nation. And if it can change a nation, it can change anything. It is the most common form of communication with God and can have a tremendous impact on our lives.
Prayer changes things because it allows us to speak directly to God, which provides an incredible opportunity for deep communion with Him. Furthermore, praying brings Him into our situations and provides Him with an opportunity to bless them and work in our lives.
As Christian women, we can learn many valuable lessons in the Bible based on godly and womanly characters. Hannah is known, at least at first, not for what she has, but for what she does not have. Hannah was one of several barren women in the Bible who competed with another wife bearing many children. Hannah’s desperate prayer led her to many children, her first dedicated to the Lord.
Who Is Hannah in the Bible?
Hannah lived in Ramathaimzophim at the time of the judges when the Tabernacle was in Shiloh. During King David’s reign, Hannah, the first of two wives to Elkanah, was barren without a child. Hannah suffered mental anguish for not bringing a child into the world.
Hannah who was married to a man called Elkanah. They were very much in love; however, Hannah was infertile. It is speculated that because Hannah was unable to have children, Elkanah took another wife at Hannah’s request.
This was a common practice. He loved Hannah more than his other wife, Peninnah, but Peninnah was remarkably fertile and gave birth to several sons and daughters.
Elkanah was deeply in love with his barren wife Hannah, instead of the fertile Peninnah. Peninnah hoped that her ability to provide children for her husband would make him love her more than Hannah.
This caused substantial grief for both women. Both women loved the same man. One wife was barren and wanted children and one wife fertile and wanted love. Hannah was the mother of Samuel, and she is a wonderful example to us of prayer.
Hannah made a promise to God that if he permitted her to bear a son, she would devote him to God. When God fulfilled this request, she faithfully kept her word.
She left her son, Samuel, to be raised in the temple of the Lord while continuing to provide him guidance and mentorship along the way.
“Then Hannah prayed and said, ‘My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance. There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you, there is no Rock like our God.’” (1 Samuel 2:1-2)
Hannah’s story is one of the most well-known stories of faith-filled women mentioned in the Bible. Her longing for a child, and dark season of waiting, has brought countless women (and men) to pore over these pages of 1 Samuel chapters 1-2. At that time in the Bible, barrenness brought deep shame upon a family. Because children were counted as God’s blessing, to encounter infertility was a difficult burden for any couple to bear.
What is Hannah’s Promise to God?
In her prayer, she asked God for a son and in return she vowed to give the son back to God for the service of God. She promised he would remain a Nazarite all the days of his life. The desperation of Hannah’s vow indicates that merely bearing a male child would establish her in the community.
1 Samuel 1:11-28 GNBUK
Hannah made a solemn promise: “Almighty LORD, look at me, your servant! See my trouble and remember me! Do not forget me! If you give me a son, I promise that I will dedicate him to you for his whole life and that he will never have his hair cut.” Hannah continued to pray to the LORD for a long time, and Eli watched her lips. She was praying silently; her lips were moving, but she made no sound. So, Eli thought that she was drunk, and said to her, “Stop making a drunken show of yourself! Stop your drinking and sober up!” “No, I’m not drunk, sir,” she answered. “I haven’t been drinking! I am desperate, and I have been praying, pouring out my troubles to the LORD. Do not think I am a worthless woman. I have been praying like this because I’m so miserable.” “Go in peace,” Eli said, “and may the God of Israel give you what you have asked him for.” “May you always think kindly of me,” she replied. Then she went away, ate some food, and was no longer sad. The next morning Elkanah and his family got up early, and after worshipping the LORD, they went back home to Ramah. Elkanah had intercourse with his wife Hannah, and the LORD answered her prayer. So it was that she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, and explained, “I asked the LORD for him.” The time came again for Elkanah and his family to go to Shiloh and offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and the special sacrifice he had promised. But this time Hannah did not go. She told her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will take him to the house of the LORD, where he will stay all his life.” Elkanah answered, “All right, do whatever you think best; stay at home until you have weaned him. And may the LORD make your promise come true.” So, Hannah stayed at home and nursed her child. After she had weaned him, she took him to Shiloh, taking along a three-year-old bull, ten kilogrammes of flour, and a leather bag full of wine. She took Samuel, young as he was, to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. After they had killed the bull, they took the child to Eli. Hannah said to him, “Excuse me, sir. Do you remember me? I am the woman you saw standing here, praying to the LORD. I asked him for this child, and he gave me what I asked for. So, I am dedicating him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he will belong to the LORD.” Then they worshipped the LORD there.
How Many Years Did Hannah Pray for a Son?
The Bible does not specify how long Hannah was barren, a period that, according to the. midrash, extended for nineteen years.
How did God answer Hannah’s prayer?
Related: 4 Powerful Life Lessons From Hannah in the Bible
God abundantly blessed Hannah with her first child, Samuel, whom she sacrificed to the Lord. After giving Samuel away to live at the Tabernacle in Shiloh once he was weaned, God still looked after Hannah. Hannah was the mother of many more children after the sacrifice of Samuel.
Can you see the joy Hannah had as she carried her son to the Tabernacle, which took place every year.? However, she was happy to have fulfilled her vow to God!
God gave Hannah three more sons and two daughters. In addition, Hannah was able to visit Samuel every year during the feasts and even bring him a beautiful and loving present, a coat. What a wonderful reunion it was for mother and son!
It is not by strength that one prevails; those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth” (1 Sam. 2:10).
Hannah’s Prayer for a Child:
1 Samuel 1:10-11,20
Hannah’s Prayer is one of the most famous prayers in the Bible. And there is a really good reason for that. It is incredibly powerful to see this woman go to God in her desperation and see a radical answer that changed not just her life but also the nation of Israel.
“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… 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.”
What Can We Learn from Hannah’s Prayers?
There is so much we can learn from Hannah. She went through a lot, but she was faithful and steadfast inn seeking the Lord. in her stand. She believed God, is a woman in the Bible who dealt with a lot of adversity in her life, yet she was steadfast in seeking out the Lord. But despite Hannah’s challenges, she was determined to surrender and submit her cares before the Lord. She prayed through her pain and resolved to continue to trust God.
Here are four lessons we can learn from Hannah’s story and prayer life:
1. Be Persistent in Prayer
No matter what you go through. Keep your trust in God. He will answer your cry, like he did Hannah. God calls for us to persistently pray for strength, wisdom and petition our requests with consistency, confidence, and steadfastness. Despite the difficult circumstances she faced, Hannah persistently prayed to God.
I would like to encourage you, not lose heart, and continue to pray persistently to God, surrendering every emotion, doubt, fear, and anxiety over to Him. God welcomes us like a loving parent and hears us through prayer.
2. Stay in Faith
Hannah trusted God without doubt or concern. Hannah’s story teaches us that our faith in God allows Him to bless us. Her trust in God as she turned to Him, her deep desire for children and her faithfulness in bringing Samuel to God as promised are all evidence of God working in Hannah’s life.
3. Surrender Your Heart to God.
When Hannah prayed, she did not shrink back in faith. She poured all her emotions before the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:16 states “I have been praying here out of great anguish and grief.” Although God already knew Hannah’s plight, she surrendered every raw emotion she was feeling.
As we continue to grow in our relationship with God and spiritual maturity, God does not want us to sugarcoat where we are.
When words are not adequate, Romans 8:26 states, “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” God’s great love for us covers us each day. Surrender your all to the Lord and allow God to move in and through you and your circumstance.
4. Do not Stop Praying and Seeking God.
While Hannah was hurting and wept through ridicule, she did not stop praying and seeking the Lord. Although her circumstances were overwhelming and she could have easily lost hope, she resolved to be victorious in Christ Jesus.
When we face difficult seasons in our lives, let us be encouraged by Hannah’s commitment to trusting God. Speak life and victory over our circumstances, spirit, and future. When we are distracted by opposition, negativity, or self -doubt that will come, we can resolve to seek God’s word for renewed hope and walk in the victory that is in Christ Jesus.
5. Keep on Praying.
Hannah’s prayer life was a powerful one of strength, courage, persistent prayer, and unwavering commitment to seeking God’s face. She was determined to receive her answer to prayer. She was determined to receive the promise from God. She faced challenging circumstances, felt discouraged and angry with God. Despite her challenges, feelings of rejection and abandonment, she did not stop praying. She prayed when she was unsure if she would ever have children, and she prayed when God blessed her with a son.
God had a purpose in mind for Hannah. He had more planned for her than she realized. God had increase for Hannah. God had planted a desire in her heart and Hannah pursued it. She never gave up hope that she was part of a purpose bigger than herself. This is another hallmark of a spiritual leader and what I admire most about Hannah. She was a ray of light in a spiritually dismal day.
No matter what you are standing and believing God for, like Hannah, do not stop praying. Even though you are unsure, stay in faith.
Related: Pray Like Hannah: (Guided Prayer Journal)
Pray Like Hannah
Are you waiting for an answer to prayer, and you don’t know what to do? You’re really trying to remain patient, but you need wisdom that can only come from the Holy Spirit. Just stand in faith while you’re waiting for your answer:
What impossible thing are you praying for today? No matters what your challenges are, when you stand in faith, pray like Hannah, see it through, you will receive the promise you were believing God for. The answer to your prayer.
Hannah was desperate for a child; I imagine it is all she could think about. But the result, she had a son, and many more children after that. Samuel was born at the perfect time in history to have the greatest impact.
God knew the bigger picture for Hannah, and he has an extraordinary plan for her future child! What I find especially uplifting in the story of Hannah is that her source of joy is not in the birth of her son Samuel, but in her love of God.
When you pray like Hannah in faith, praise, and worship, the result is breakthrough.
“And Hannah prayed, and said, my heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.” – 1 Samuel 2:1 KJV
When the answer takes longer than we want, remember, God sometimes does not change your situation because he is trying to change you. During difficult season, God is changing your heart and strengthening your faith.
What is important to remember is to pray like Hannah, trust God in your distress and take your concerns to the Lord, whatever concerns you, concerns God, and having a child was concerning to Hannah.
Hannah received more than she could have ever dreamed. Hannah not only had Samuel as a son, but she also gives birth to six other children!
Do not give up. Keep praying.
Related: Lessons from Hannah in the Bible: The Pain of Infertility
Bible Verses About Hannah
And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies because I rejoice in your salvation. “There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. …
And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies because I rejoice in your salvation.
And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies because I rejoice in your salvation. “There is none holy like the Lord; there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. …
There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. …
Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the Lord.” So, then they would return to their home.
Indeed, the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the young man Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.
They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.” The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So, the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. …
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. …
And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.
1 Samuel 2:10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the power of his
Prayer
Father, I ask You to give me complete knowledge of Your will and to give me spiritual wisdom and understanding so that I will always honor and please You, and that my life will produce every kind of good fruit as I learn to know You better and better
I thank You that when I don’t know what to do, I can ask You, and You will generously give me wisdom. You will not rebuke me for asking. My faith is in You alone, and I’m in agreement with Your Word. I ask in faith, and I do not doubt. In Jesus Name. Amen
–James 1:5-8 – Colossians 1:9-10
Free Printable- Hannah Prayer For A Son
I pray that you enjoyed “Praying Like Hannah: The Power of Unwavering Faith.” Here you will find a free printable that you can download by clicking on the highlighted link.
You are welcome to use this printable for personal use or in small group Bible studies.
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