It Happened in PrayerSample

One of the most infamous answered prayers in the Bible is that of Hannah. In 1 Samuel 1, we see Hannah, whose womb is described as being closed by the Lord. Year after year, Peninnah, her husband’s other wife who bore him children, would taunt Hannah, causing her to stumble into depression. Amid her anguish, Hannah would find the courage to pray for a son. The key thing about this prayer is that she didn’t stop at simply praying for a son; she vowed to dedicate him to the Lord all the days of his life.

The Bible describes Hannah’s prayer as one of the heart because her lips moved, but Eli did not hear her voice, so he thought she was drunk. After Hannah explained that she was simply pouring her soul out to the Lord, Eli informed her that the Lord would answer her prayer. Later, we see that Hannah would give birth to Samuel, the prophet of which the book this account is recalled is named.

Maybe your prayer isn’t for a son, but as in Hannah’s example, no matter how tumultuous the circumstance is right now, you are one prayer away from the answer you are looking for. Hannah’s desperate cry for a son and her commitment to dedicating him to the Lord is the posture we must take. We must be willing to take our selfish motives out of the equation and say, “Lord, this prayer is for your glory.”

There may be some Peninnahs (haters) mocking you and God, but you have to be fully confident that He will answer your prayer. Or maybe the circumstance looks impossible to the natural eye for this prayer to be answered, but may you remember that it was in prayer that God took note of Hannah’s disposition (heart posture) and found a reason to open her womb and grant her request for a son. May Hannah’s account restore your hope in whatever it is that you are to give birth to through prayer!

Prayer: Father, may my desperate cry be aligned with your will as I dedicate my requests to you. May I not let naysayers or the reality of the natural circumstance cause me to waver in my faith to believe in your will for my life. In Jesus name, amen.