A Verse
1 Samuel 2:1-10
And Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the LORD;
my horn is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
“There is none holy like the LORD:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the LORD is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble bind on strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
The LORD kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and he exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S,
and on them he has set the world.
“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
for not by might shall a man prevail.
The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
A Comment
One of the most striking features of “Hannah’s prayer” in these verses is that it does not conform to the typical understanding of what it means to “pray.” We often, and rightly, think of prayer as “making our requests known to the Lord” (Philippians 4:6-7). And this is absolutely true! This is even how Jesus taught us to pray for our daily bread, our need for forgiveness, and our battle against temptation. Yet, here in Hannah’s prayer, we do not see any requests, just praise for her God, who has answered her prayer for a son.
As I was reflecting on this passage, I couldn’t help but feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Much of my prayer life is dedicated to needs that I am aware of. And God does not despise these prayers. Our prayers are heard because of the blood-bought access that Christ provides for us. We come boldly to the throne of grace because of Jesus (Hebrews 4:16)! But if I’m being honest with you, my prayers tend to be more about my requests than about praising my God for His greatness.
In chapter 1 of 1 Samuel, we saw how important it is to bring our request before the Lord. But when He answers, we do not stop praying. No. We keep praying with prayers of praise and thanksgiving, lauding Him for who He is and what He has accomplished.
Over the next few days, we will dig into Hannah’s prayer more deeply but for now, I want to encourage us to pray even when things are better than we could imagine. Even when don’t perceive that we have a request to make (though this is likely never really the case), let us bring Him hearts full of gratitude for His faithfulness to us as His children.
A Prayer
Would you join me in prayer?
A Blessing
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
How Should We Respond to Answered Prayer? (1 Samuel 2:1-10)