As the years when by, husband Elkanah tried to make Hannah feel more loved by giving her twice as much as he gave the irritating other wife, but Hannah remained childless and sad. After a while, the sadness deepened until she could not stop crying. So Elkanah asked, “Why do you keep crying, Hannah? Why do you not even eat? Why are you sad all the time? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”
Maybe he would have if she were his only wife! But Hannah’s grief became so strong, she went into the temple and burst into tears.
Bitterly she wept.
Distraught she prayed.
She pleaded to the LORD
and made a vow:
"O LORD of hosts, please
look on the misery of Your servant,
and remember me!
If You will give Your servant a male child,
I will give him to You as long as he lives,
and I will not give him wine or cut his hair.”
As Hannah prayed before the LORD, the priest
Eli watched, and when he saw only her lips moving,
he assumed Hannah was drunk! So Eli said,
"How long will you make a drunken scene?
Put away your wine."
But Hannah answered, "Oh, no, sir!
You’re seeing a deeply troubled woman,
and I have poured myself no wine or strong drink
but am pouring my soul to the LORD!
Do not regard your servant as worthless,
for I have only been pouring out my misery."
Then Eli answered, "Go in peace,
and may the God of Israel grant your petition."
Hannah responded, "May I also find favor in your sight."
Returning to her husband, Hannah took nourishment
and her spirits lifted. The next morning, they got up early
and worshiped the LORD then went back home to Ramah.
Elkanah remembered his wife Hannah,
and so did the LORD.
In due time Hannah gave birth to a son
she named Samuel to remind her
she asked of the LORD.
©2013, Mary Harwell Sayler prayer-a-phrased from today’s Bible Reading in 1 Samuel 1:1-20.
Such pity I felt for Hannah in her misery, and only prayers can give solace to those for whom we cannot help in such a circumstance, but rather we can accompany them with our prayer for comfort until those prayers are answered.
ReplyDeleteHannah's story tugged at me too, but a cause for rejoicing came as the next prayer and Post Script show. Lord willing, I'll post that happy ending today.
ReplyDeleteI was mocked by my friend for years.I just let her go.from the time I told her my son was diagnosed with autism all she started doing was braging how much her one year old is doing.then she would add i am oraying for your son.example, God is so amazing Angelica is talking so much.In other words God is not amazing in my life.or I am praying your son get out of diapers by the end of this year.I am going to potty train Angelica.I want her out of diapers before i go back to work.Who potty train a one year old? She loves to mock me on anything that bothers me.I finally let her go after many years.I know how Hanna felt.my son makes her feel good about what her kids.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear this. Sometimes people can be cruel! Jesus told us to pray for those who treat us badly, so I pray God gives us the prayers to pray in Jesus' Name.
ReplyDelete