1 Samuel
Prayer · Faith · Sacrifice · Joy
“For this child I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him.”
— 1 Samuel 1:27
A barren woman who poured out her heart to God and received the son she longed for — Samuel, who would anoint Israel's greatest kings.
Her Story
Hannah was one of two wives of Elkanah. Though deeply loved by her husband, she was childless, and her rival wife Peninnah taunted her mercilessly. Year after year, Hannah went to the tabernacle and wept before the Lord. One year, she prayed so fervently that the priest Eli thought she was drunk. She told him, 'I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit... I have poured out my soul before the LORD.' She vowed that if God gave her a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord's service. God answered her prayer, and she bore Samuel. True to her word, she brought the young boy to the tabernacle to serve God. Her prayer of thanksgiving in 1 Samuel 2 is one of the most beautiful songs in Scripture and is echoed centuries later in Mary's Magnificat.
Scripture References
Themes
PrayerFaithSacrificeJoy