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.