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Where do you turn when suffering strikes and your soul feels barren? Whether it’s the pain of a broken relationship, infertility, another lost job opportunity, or what appears to be a fruitless ministry, it’s easy to grow discouraged. Maybe today you’re even questioning whether God hears your prayers. A story in the Old Testament book of 1 Samuel reminds us that He does.
Elkanah and Hannah were worshipers of the one true God (1 Sam. 1:1–20). Annually they went to Shiloh, to the tent of meeting. But Hannah was barren. An empty womb is always difficult when a woman desires children, but in Israel barrenness was associated with God’s curse (see Deut. 28:4, 18). During one particular trip to the temple, Hannah’s heart was so sad that she couldn’t even eat. She wanted more than her husband’s love; she wanted children. Though Elkanah tried to comfort Hannah, she needed more than what he could give. She needed to pour out her heart before the Lord. And this is what she did.
Deeply distressed, Hannah wept and prayed before the Lord. She vowed that if He would give her a son, then she would give him back to the Lord (1 Sam. 1:11). In her affliction, Hannah believed that the Lord could grant her a son, and before he was even conceived, she offered him to the Lord for His purposes. Although the priest initially thought that Hannah was drunk with wine instead of troubled in spirit, he believed Hannah’s testimony, blessed her request for a son, and sent her away in peace.
Remarkably, Hannah’s prayer changed her. This is what prayer always does for the humble believer who goes to the Lord and pours out his or her heart before Him. Hannah still had no son in her arms, but she was able to eat and to worship the Lord. By faith, she believed that the Lord would act on her behalf.
Once they returned home, the Lord remembered Hannah’s prayer and vow. Significantly, it was one of the means that He used to bring about His redemptive purposes. The Lord used Hannah to bring Samuel into the world to be His servant. Samuel would speak to others about the Lord, but only because Hannah had first spoken to the Lord about Samuel. Hannah’s name for her son would always remind her that he was an answer to her prayer. The Lord hears and the Lord answers.
Dear believer, is your soul filled with sorrow? Perhaps because of a broken relationship, depression, grief, hopelessness, infertility, or shattered dreams, you are discouraged. Maybe you find yourself questioning whether God hears your prayers or even cares about your deep desires. When the sufferings and trials of this life take away your appetite and leave you filled with sadness, remember that the Lord always hears your prayers. Pour out your soul before Him today in humble reliance on Him. He is lovingly bringing to pass His plans and purposes that He’s ordained for you.