Hannah: Anguished Prayers

READ: 1 SAMUEL 1:1-10; 2:1, 21 Recently, I had the opportunity to share with some friends about a woman from the Bible. As I started reading about Hannah in preparation to share her story, a few things stuck out to me. Hannah was seeking the Lord consistently as she prayed for a child. First Samuel 1:10 describes this prayer as marked by deep anguish and bitter crying. This was very relatable for me. Even now, I have something deeply personal that I am asking of the Lord in prayer. Often, my prayers are covered in tears. Sometimes I find myself thinking, When will the Lord answer? I wonder if Hannah thought that too. You see, Scripture says that Hannah’s prayers for a child went on year after year. She kept seeking the Lord. Yet, she was also honest about the sadness she felt during this time. Miraculously, the Lord gave Hannah a child—Samuel! Not only that, but Hannah went on to have three more sons and two daughters (1 Samuel 2:21). I can only imagine how excited Hannah ...