Growing In Godliness Blog
“Hannah’s Prayer”
Categories: Author: David Norfleet, God, PrayerHannah’s Prayer
By David Norfleet
In Luke 11:1, one of Jesus’ disciples approached Him and asked “Lord, teach us to pray….” I can relate to that question. At times I do not know what to ask for, what the wisest course of action is, or even how to properly ask for what is troubling me. In Luke 11 Jesus responded to the question with what is known as the model prayer (Luke 11:1-8) to answer His disciple’s question. And I believe God has responded to our unspoken need by filling His Word with great prayers to help us learn from and shape our own prayers.
One of the great prayers in Scripture is found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10. Overwhelmed by her childlessness, provoked by Peninnah, Elkanah’s second wife, and “comforted” by an emotionally deaf husband, Hannah “was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly” (1 Samuel 1:10). But God heard Hannah’s plea, she bore a son, honored her vow, and praised God for it.
Her prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 seems to bear little resemblance to the events that evoked it. Instead of praying, “look at what God did for me,” Hannah’s prayer is, “look at who God is!”
Hannah thinks deeply about the character and power of God. She is making realizations about God that go far beyond her situation. “My heart exults in the Lord; my strength is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation” (v. 1). She is awed by God’s unparalleled holiness (v. 2), unsearchable wisdom (v. 3), amazing power (v. 4), and unerring justice (vv. 9-10). Her own reversal of fortunes is just one of many examples of God exalting the humble and humbling the exalted (vv. 5-8).
Do you see what Hannah’s prayer of praise is about? It is not about her, but God. The answered prayer was not just about getting what she asked for, but what the answer taught her about the God who did the answering. Hannah thought about what God did in her life and drew much bigger conclusions about what kind of God He is.
The greatest praise comes when we see that God is up to much more than just attending to our requests. I am most impressed by Hannah’s perspective. She saw the big picture. She realized that what God had done for her on a small scale, He would do for all creation one day. She realized that if God can do this for her, what can’t He do? If God cares about a lowly childless wife from the hill country of Ephraim, who can lie outside God’s sphere of care?
Let Hannah teach us how to praise God well.
