She Is Strong and Courageous 30-Day DevotionalSample

Keep the Faith – Hannah

A strong spiritual foundation can help you keep faith in God even through painful life storms. Hannah's story will inspire you to trust God and build your faith for the future.

“There was a man named Elkanah who lived in Ramah in the region of Zuph in the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, of Ephraim. Elkanah had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah did not…

So Peninnah would taunt Hannah and make fun of her because the Lord had kept her from having children… Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the Lord.” (1 Samuel 1:1–2, 6, 9–10) 

Pray: Lord, please give me wisdom as I approach your Word and learn from your precepts. 

Observe: If you were building a house, you would never start framing until a solid foundation was properly in place. So why not approach your spiritual life with the same care and concern? 

Without a strong foundation, our houses crumble in severe storms. Similarly, without a solid spiritual foundation, we crumble—sometimes at the mere mention of a storm.

To construct a solid spiritual foundation, we must hear, understand, and act on the teachings of Christ. Jesus makes it clear that throughout life we will encounter painful life storms (John 16:33). He also makes it clear that if we hear his words and don’t act on them, we’re in store for a great fall (Matthew 7:26–27).

Hannah devoted her life to following God. She consistently prayed and faithfully trusted God with her future. Because of Hannah’s firm foundation of faith, she endured the cruel treatment by Peninnah, and Hannah’s prayers were answered when God gave her a son, the great prophet Samuel.

Courageously strengthen your spiritual foundation by implementing the following practices:

1. Set aside time each day for quiet prayer. 

2. Read the Bible at least four or more times each week. Consider reading through the book of James chapter by chapter. 

3. Consider joining a Bible study and challenge yourself to consistently read, study, and apply God’s truth to your life.

 4. Consider reaching out to a mature Christian friend and ask that individual to disciple you. 

Interpret: Believers can weather any hardship or cruel treatment when their faith is firm, and they trust God with their future. 

Apply: How strong is your spiritual foundation? What step will you take today to strengthen your faith? 

Pray: Father, give me wisdom as I seek to strengthen my faith and help me build a strong foundation in you to weather the storms of life that seek to distract, discourage, and destroy me.