The Ten Greatest Prayers of The Bible

Chapter 1 - Hannah's Prayer

Chapter 1

Hannah’s Prayer

The Prayer

“And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.” 1 Samuel 1:10-11

What was Hannah Praying for?

Hannah was a woman praying in bitterness of soul and spirit so that she could have a son.

Background Information about Hannah

Hannah was one of two wives married to a man named Elkenah. Although polygamy was permissible at that time by God under the Law of Moses, it was not an ideal situation for any woman to be in. The stresses on Hannah’s marital relationship with her husband and his other wife are evident in the first chapter of 1 Samuel. Hannah was constantly harassed and provoked by the other woman, Peninnah, about her inability to have children. We learn a great deal about Hannah’s character, because, despite being provoked so much, we never see her responding in a negative or confrontation way to anyone. Most people fight back when they are personally attacked but Hannah did not. She chose the high road of prayer as her weapon of defense. Can you imagine what it must have been like to have been in her situation? First, she was sharing her husband with another woman who was arrogant, spiteful and full of pride. Second, although her husband apparently loved her very much, (as evidenced by his giving her a double portion to offer the Lord at the temple) she could not provide him with children. This must have been devastating to her because not being able to bear children during the time she lived in was often thought of as a curse. By her own admission in 1 Samuel 1:15, she was a woman deeply troubled. 1 Samuel 1:8 says that she was depressed and even refused to eat at times. It was quite obvious to everyone that not being able to have a child was a tremendous problem in her life.

We know that despite her inability to have a child after many years, Hannah remained a devout believer in God. When others may have given up praying to God or would have become bitter against God, 1 Samuel 1:3 explains that she continued to go up to Shiloh year after year to worship and make her offerings. Although she didn’t receive an answer to her prayer for years, she continued to have faith that God was going to answer her prayers, as evidenced by the fact that she continued to worship and serve God as if he would answer her.

It is important to understand that Hannah experienced bitterness, but she didn’t become a bitter person. She never allowed her emotions to push her towards making regrettable decisions. The emotional trauma she experienced only served to motivate her more to prayer. The final prayer she made at the temple was the result of many years enduring painful insults from her husband’s second wife and bitter rival, Peninnah, and from the frustration that came from years of seemingly unanswered prayers for a child. When she could not take it anymore, Hannah decided to take the next logical step when it seems like prayer not being answered; change your prayer.

Key Elements of Hannah’s Prayer

Hannah was being provoked by her rival and made her prayer in bitterness of soul.The fact that Hannah was constantly being provoked caused an emotional reaction in her. However, this woman of God responded to it in a positive rather than a negative way. She chose to fight back using the divine weapon of prayer rather than a sharp tongue or getting into a physical altercation. Many people resort to arguing with others and letting their disagreements turn physical because they lack the crucial experience of how to deal with problems in a spiritual way. The wise person knows that every problem in the natural world has a natural solution. Sometimes we need to look to the spiritual world for the solution, and this was the case with Hannah. In verse 1:6 we read that the Lord had closed her womb. There was nothing physical about her problem. According to the Bible, this was the Lord’s doing. No matter how many fertility treatments, potions, advice, medical treatment or consultations she received, nothing was ever going to work until she received divine intervention. By understanding that the same God who caused her problem was the one who was going to fix it, she was well on her way to receiving the answer to her prayer.