Have you ever been in an impossible situation, faced with a problem completely beyond your control? Maybe you’ve been praying for a job, or a better way to make ends meet. Maybe you’ve prayed for a loved one to be healed, or to be released from an addiction.

Hannah would understand. After all, in those days, the principal way that women contributed to the prosperity of their families was by bearing children. But no matter how much her husband loved her, she remained childless. And so in verse 10, we find her praying, lifting her problem to the Lord, as she had doubtless done for many years. But this time, her prayer was answered.

Why is that? Well, could it be that her prayer was primarily focused on God and His glory? Yes, she prayed for a son, but not so that he could help out around the farm or take care of the family’s animals. No, Hannah vowed to give her son back to God as one specially set apart for the Lord’s service.

Notice also that Hannah’s prayer was offered in a particular place, at the Tabernacle of the Lord. Now, in those days, that was the only place where people could draw close to God. Today, because all of those who trust in Christ are living stones joined together to form His Temple (I Peter 2:5), we can draw especially close to Jesus when we come together with His people. Indeed, James urges us to confess our sins to one another and to pray for one another so that we may be healed (James 5:16).

But James especially encourages us to share our deepest needs with the leaders of our church, our elders (James 5:14-15). Just so, Hannah drew great comfort from Eli’s blessing, in spite of his initial misunderstanding of her situation. She was no longer sad because she had unburdened her soul to Eli in the presence of the Lord, and because she was determined to bless the God Who had so greatly blessed her. And God answered her prayer.

So, why don’t we follow Hannah’s example today? Why don’t we bring our deepest concerns to our elders? Why don’t we ask our Christian friends to pray for us? And instead of focusing so much on ourselves and our problems, why not lift our eyes to the God Who has loved us enough, not just to give us so many material blessings, but to give up His own Son to save us from our sins? Can we doubt that He is able and willing to answer our prayers, to give us everything we truly need to live for His glory and the good of others (Romans 8:32)?

I Samuel 1:1-20 (NASB)

Now there was a certain man from Ramathaim-zophim from the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 And he had two wives: the name of one was Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man would go up from his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas were priests to the LORD there.
4 And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters;
5 but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the LORD had closed her womb.
6 Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.
7 And it happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she would provoke her, so she wept and would not eat.
8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9 Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the temple of the LORD.
10 And she, greatly distressed, prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.
11 And she made a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thy maidservant and remember me, and not forget Thy maidservant, but wilt give Thy maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.”
12 Now it came about, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli was watching her mouth.
13 As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk.
14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.”
15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the LORD.
16 “Do not consider your maidservant as a worthless woman; for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.”
17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”
18 And she said, “Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.
20 And it came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of the LORD.”