Pastor Bobby wrote a blog to introduce 1 Samuel! Better Than Twilight? Check it here!
The Birth of Samuel
1:1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. 4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 And 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 more to you than ten sons?”
9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
Samuel Given to the Lord
21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
And he worshiped the Lord there. (ESV)
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
I really like this story. Hannah wanted a son sooo badly. She had still not recieved one at an old age, yet she kept hope and fervently prayed to the Lord. The Lord granted her faith and gave her a son. Then she gives the son up to the Lord. She is an excellent role model. She had fervent hope and faith in the Lord. She trusted him throughout everything. Also, she kept God first in her life. Even when God granted her prayers, she did not let her son detract from God. She continued to put God first. This is something i struggle with. Hannah is an excellent role model for me
ELLO… I read
I like verse 28,”Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.””
I like this verse because it says he is lent to the LORD. This doesn’t really make much sense to me because we are made by GOD and we are all HIS creation and Samuel’s mother had no right to decide if the LORD would take HIM or not.
CYA
1 Sam 1:11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
Hannah has a believer’s faith: she wanted to have a son, not to serve her but to serve the Lord. And God honored that desire. She trusted in God to hear her and to provide her deepest desire, for a son wh she would give entriely to God service. And look what God did with that righteous desire – He replaced the poor leadership of the house of Eli with Samuel and moved Israel to it’s time of greatness. I trust the parents of the TN students will give them entirely to the LORD and that God wil use all of you in mighty ways for His glory! Please come soon!
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah…
The verse says that they “rose early in the morning”. Already this verse is not the typical high schooler. Not many wake up or rise early in the morning. Typically, most are sleeping in as late as they can on the weekends, and even on school days, sleeping as long as they possibly can before dragging themselves out of bed to get to school. This is not the same attitude that Elkanah and his family held. They woke up early in the morning to worship God. And then they headed back to their home. They must have been really excited about worshiping the LORD. At a time when many would be sleeping, they sacrificed what time they could have been using to sleep so that they could come together as a family and worship God. This is commitment to worshiping. They didn’t try to squeeze out some time out of their other schedule to find a time for worship, but instead they made time by waking up early, that they would have a designated and undisturbed period of worship. God was shown to be their number one priority here.
I need to be all about worship. I need to follow the example of Elkanah. Instead of letting “my plans” take higher priority in me trying to find time for worshiping God in my already-made schedule, I need to make my schedule around God, and I need to make time to worship him. And worship isn’t only singing songs. Now that I have been set free from my bondage to sin, my life is a spiritual sacrifice and a spiritual act of worship. My whole life needs to be based around bringing God glory. And not when it’s most convenient for me, but all the time! I need to be so pumped about worshiping the LORD, both by singing songs to him, but as well, living a life to bring him glory! I want to see God’s name high and lifted up, and I need to be always working to bring glory to him, that I am honoring him with how I live my life!
Mmmmm preach it brother!!
YESSSSS! GOD should be the number ONE priority in our lives. Great comment Steffen!
thanks guys!
It hit me this morning that Hannah didn’t want a son to have a son. She wanted to multiply her offerings to the Lord. I came to this, because I was trying to figure out how in the world you could want something so badly, only to turn around and give it up (or, even more severely in THIS case, give HIM up). How do you finally get what you’ve been ACHING over, breast feed, hold, fall even more in love with, and nurture this baby boy, and then depart from him voluntarily, by imparting him to a strange group of men who live more than a stone’s throw away…?
It got me to thinking about all the relationships I have. In considering Hannah, it dawned on me that it wasn’t so much the baby or the son she wanted to have. She wanted to give BACK to God MORE than she was currently able. She wanted to be stretched and grown, and she wanted her relationship with the Lord to compound as a result of her relationship with her child, and by being a mother.
Am I seeking God more through any relationship dynamics I have? Am I honoring God more in my role as a daughter? A sister? An employee? A friend? A student? WOW. I need to be seeking God entirely in EVERY relationship I have. I need to be exercising good stewardship in the relationships God has entrusted me to, and I need to be offering every one of my relationships up to Him, and I need to be the living sacrifice–living as though set on FIRE–for the Lord. What a potent chapter and morsel of life that God gave us in His Word with the opening chapter of I Samuel…
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.
Really cool chapter to see the Lord work in one of his servants life, and ultimately for His own glory! Its so encouraging and intense to see how passionate and powerful prayer can be. This verse really pumped me up to be a prayer warrior not a prayer wimp like Bobby’s message talked about so long ago. I need to plead and petition the Lord about everything in my life constantly with Gods glory in mind for all of it, no matter what it is.
19 …and the Lord remembered her.
Mmm solid meal out of verse 19. The Lord will never forget his people if they truly are his people he will pour blessings on them, sometimes I get down and feel like God is not as close to me or something but this really slapped me in the face so to say and reminded me God is ALWAYS there and I have nothing to worry about. We are God’s children and it should be constantly encouraging to us to meditate that the Lord ALWAYS remembers us and everything is part of His plan in the end no matter what we are going through! I am really going to meditate on these two things today to keep my eyes fixed on the Lord!!!!
Goood Morning!!!
Verse 27 “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.”
The LORD is the power in the universe. HE can even decide when a child is to be born! THis woman is a great example of a humble servant of the LORD GOD. She comes to him in no handsome stature but comes to simply pray in deep emotion to HIM with all her heart. I think this is how I should pray everyday, even if I am just saying thank you or asking for a blessing. Hannah has pretty much taught me a fantastic lesson today, pray with a excited and emotional heart and being.
This is kind of like the sermon that Pastor Bobby had talked about last week, to pray with a fervent heart.
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Hannah is one of my heroes from the Bible! One thing that stands out to me about her is that she keeps her word to the Lord and actually follows through on giviing Samuel over to Him to be a priest. How many times do people make deals with God, only to never follow through on their part? Hannah sets an amazing example here. It is obvious that Hannah longed for a child and God granted her desires. Hannah honored God by showing Him that Samuel was not her god, so she gave him up to serve the Lord for his whole life. Imagine how hard that would have been for Hannah. She was able to do it because she had her priorities right, God first and all others, even her long-awaited son, a distant second. My prayer today is that I would be like Hannah-fervent in prayer, faithful in my promises, and focused on God first above all else!
Great comment! She did what she said she was going to do! Talk about being faithful!
i love it!! :)
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
WOW! I was so excited to see that we were reading 1 Samuel! :]
I loved this verse because Hannah was pouring her heart and soul out to God. She was not ashamed of what those thought! She loved the Lord and went to Him in prayer.
I need to be like Hannah in that I need to give all to God in prayer! Sometimes it feels as if I think about other things while praying and then jump back. Pray needs to be 100% God.
Also, when God answers prayers(even if they aren’t the way I truly wanted it) I need to thank Him and give it all back to Him. He knows all and knows whats best! Glory to God, may His will be done! May the world see and know that HE is THE ONE and ONLY way TO heaven! :]
***MARANATHA!!!***
28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
This is a great chapter. It is amazing how desperately Hannah desires a Son, and how faithful God is to give it to her. I love how the purpose of his life is too serve God, just as mine should be. Maybe not in the same way, but i need to be old out for the Lord as long as I life.
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
Hannah is a great example of a woman who took her anguish and discouragement to God. She didn’t allow her feeling to control her situation, and she didn’t dwell in them. She poured out her heart to the Lord and she trusted that he would answer her. Her story is a great example to me in my own life. What do I do when I am discouraged and my heart is sad where do I turn? Is it to the Lord of Host, the God of this universe who holds everything in the palm of his hands. We can not allow our circumstances or experiences to shape our views on God we have to go back to his word and remind ourselves of who God is and that ultimately he has the best in mind for us. As Bobby has said we need to talk to our selves. We need to always be in the word so in those moments we are discouraged we can remind ourselves and others about who God is and what he has done and what he will do. It takes great faith and trust to lay it all at his feet, but that is exactly what we need to do everyday.
Lord, this morning, I give you my life my struggles my worries, my anxious heart, because I know you are the one true God perfect in wisdom and truth, and through your spirit I have the power to overcome all things. Thank you Lord of heaven and earth.
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
YES! I love 1 Samuel!
Hannah is an extraordinary woman that God provided for us in the Bible, whom I definitely want to model my life after. When she was troubled, she didn’t complain to her husband or snap back at the woman taunting her, she poured out her soul to the Lord. She was pouring out her soul so deeply that people though she was drunk! Sometimes when I am troubled and I feel like pouring out my soul to God, I tell myself to wait until I am alone and no one else can see me so troubled, purely because I don’t want to be embarrassed. Here, however, Hannah is not ashamed to be trusting fully on the Lord and pouring out her soul to Him. She was probably a great witness to the man who saw her! I want to have that kind of desperation for the Lord when I am troubled or depressed!
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
This whole passage was great, but these verses are the ones that stood out to me the most. They show how Hannah was rewarded for her faithfulness to the Lord, and she shows her gratitude by giving her son to Him. These verses are proof that God blesses those who trust in Him. I think we can all learn from her incredible example :)
mmm…intense chapter yet again. I took notice to two things when reading this chapter:
11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
When Hannah prayed, she meant what she said. She fully expected God to answer her and she didnt hold back. She prayed from her heart words of honesty and she pleaded for the Lord to bring her a son. It was real. In Mark 11:24 Jesus says “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer believe that you have recieved it, and it will be yours.” I think thats soo cool and i fully believe that! and so did hannah!
Another thing i noticed was how she did what she told God she would do- she gave her son to the Lord for all of His life.She is a true follower of Christ!
Maranatha!
1 Samuel 1:15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
Hannah used her sorrow and grief to pour out her soul to God. Even in times of great sadness she gave all her troubles and anxiety to the LORD. Hannah was a woman who wanted to please God. She gave her son to be God’s servant, and her son, Samuel, would eventually become king of Israel. Through her fervent prayer and persistance, God blessed her.
In my times of sadness, anxiety, or grief, I find comfort in knowing that I can go to God for everything. God is my refuge and strength. God listens to my prayersand always answers them. The answer may not always necessarily be yes, but that is because it was not according to His will. I always find that I pray the most when I am troubled in my spirit. It is so comforting and uplifting to see God answer prayers. Hannah is a good role model for Christian women. She went to the LORD in everything and Gos answered her prayers. I need to be more like Hannah by going to God in everything and seeking counsel in His word first above all things.
Great comment today Stephanie! :D
13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman.
I was suprised at this verse because many, many people at my school pray, if/when they pray, pray in their hearts with their lips moving. Apparently this was not the norm in Old Testament times, and yet again I was flabberghasted at this. My 8th grade Bible teacher told us to pray out loud and with emotion when we talk to God, because he would want us to. I still keep this regiment of praying out loud, and i feel closer to Him because of it. :)
28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Wow, what follow through and faithfullness by Hannah. She was willing to lay out everything that is importatant to her before the Lord. And she did what she said she was going to do! That is a serious ATAPAT mentality. Any thing, any place, any time. It is encouraging to me to have such a great example of faith from the Bible.
1 Samuel is a great book!!!! Hannah is a great example of someone who loves the Lord. She asked the Lord fora son and if he gave her one she would give her son to him. I pray that I could become more like Hannah.
I read…
While reading this passage, and when I have read it before, I have always admired Hannah’s faithfulness to God. In this chapter, she fervently prayed to God and offered her son to God if she could have one. The Lord eventually blessed her and allowed her to have a son. After her son was born, she could have just said I don’t want let Samuel go and could have kept him and Samuel could have led a normal life. But instead, she kept her promises and gave him to the Lord. I pray that when we tell the Lord that we will do something we wouldn’t take it lightly or that we would not forget about it but that we would always serve Him until He takes us to be with Him.
Also, how come we can’t listen to it today?
I love the verses today
28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
aww this must have been so hard for Hannah to go through this but it’s so awesome to see how God used it to His glory! This reminds me of when God gives stuff to me and I lose it. Maybe I’m thinking God took that person away or those possessions or achievements but then I have to remember that they were never mine in the first place but they always belonged to me. I was just blessed that He lended it to me. It’s not mine permanently but God just let me borrow it and I have to remember that everything is His.
No verse really stuck out to me, but I do like the fact of how devoted she was to God. From her devotion she was granted a son, though she was not able to before.
11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
woops my computttter freaked out on me . . . .any ways….
she prayed to the lord, she made a vow to him and he answered by giving her a son as she prayed for Hannah followed through and “no razor shall touch his head.” to show her gratitude toward God.
I couldn’t agree more. 1 Samuel is definitely better than Twilight!
The book starts off with a man named Elkanah, from the hill country of Ephraim. And One of his two wives, Hannah, is deeply distressed because of her inability to bear a child. So, (this is truly remarkable) in her distress turns to the Lord in prayer.
In her distress she prays to God. Hannah gives a great example of what I should be doing every time I am distressed or confused. I should pray to the Lord. God is good and works for the good of his sons, those who are in Christ. Since God chose to die for me, how much more will he answer my prayers if I am in trouble (Rom. 8:32).
God is good! (All the time)!
28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Wow, Hannah is such a great example! It is awesome how she was willing to lay everything out on the table for Christ! She has a heart that desires to please and obey God and to me, that is amazing and really encouraging! It is also awesome to see that God uses everything for His glory, which he deserves! I want my life to reflect Christ’s and to have the willingness to drop everything to follow and serve the Lord!
God blessed Hannah with her first child after experiencing persecution from Elkanah’s other wife. She prayed, and prayed, being persistant, knowing htat God would hear her. She had complete faith in Him, despite all her troubles. It’s so important that I pray for God’s will just as she did. She was a gerat example of a Godly woman that trusted the Lord. She trusted Him so much, that she gave her son away to live in the church with Eli. She offered him to God as thanks to Him who gives people life, including the child…sounds familiar? It reminded me of Jesus and how God gave Him up for us so we can live with Him. For myself, I pray that it’s God’s will that I get married one day and have children of my own. I need to be persistant in my prayers, if I’m not, it’s like I’m saying to God it’s not that important to me. God knows my desires and what I want, but He won’t give if I don’t ask. Ask, and you will recieve, according to His will. :) I love that verse. It’s so encouraging to know that He answers prayers.
2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
Question: why was it okay (or wasn’t okay) to have two wives?! some people asked me about this last year why people could have more than one wife like Elkanah in this chapter.
11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
It’s awesome that God hears her prayer and grants her a son. It’s true that Samuel served God and Samuel’s life was for God. Samuel was a prophet! It’s awesome that Samuel’s mother didn’t say that to God and just took back her words because she got a son. She really gave him to the Lord.
“what you need, revival. when you’re going to get it? the bible. come with me, bring the fire. going up the mountain. take it higher. we’ll make it glow. heat to the snow. hahha…snoowowoowowowoowooowowoowo”
Hey Kyle! Great question about polygamy… Here’s an answer in a vlog from Pastor Mike: http://www.compasschurch.org/askpastormike/polygamy/
thanks Pastor Bobby!!!!
14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
This is kind like how people are today. They may ridicule me for praying or for being devoted to God, but that shouldn’t phase me. I need to keep strong and turn to God when I need Him, which is always. So, I need to remind myself to pray more and to realize the power of prayer.
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Hannah is such a great example to us, after so long of wanting a son, she then gives him to the Lord. And just seeing the Lords loving side that after all this times of not having a son or child, her gave her a child :)
End of verse 22: “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.”
I like this verse because Hannah wanted a child so badly and instead of continually sobbing, she went to the Lord in prayer. She asked for a son and told Him she would dedicate the child to God.
Hannah set a great example for us-to go to even in the worst of times :)
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.
This is an encouraging verse because Hannah was sad that she couldn’t have any children but what she did was awesome; praying to God. We should take this as an example that whenever we are in despair or need, we should pray to God and He will answer them. It’s awesome to see how God answered Hannah prayer here because she prayed for a son and God delivered with Hannah was soon pregnant. 19 … and the Lord remembered her.
I pray that I would be relying and praying to God about everything in my life, willing to give it all up for Him.
WALD comment Tyler, prayer is powerful!! d:-/
Praying for ya TMoore…no doubt!
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
I am lovin’ Hannah’s complete devotion and dependence on God!! Her reaction to Eli was incredible, and her cries to God are so sincere!! Hannah chose not to take vengeance on Peninnah by giving her cares to the Lord and by depending on God to take care of her. She trusts God to comfort her and protect her. Hannah is a marvelous role model, and I could only hope to become someone as amazing as her!! :D
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.
What a strong story to show how powerful prayer is! God always hears our prayers and is always wanting to answer them! Sometimes in my life when im going through a tough trial, i pray that God will help me find a way out! And He always does! :D Even if something seems so impossible, with faith in God the impossible can become possible! Which i think is something to really praise God about! :)
6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb.
i think that this verse shows how the devil goes after each and everyone of us to try to take us away from the hands of God. but even through all the temptations, she still trusts in the Lord and obeys his commands. Hannah is a great role model!! :)
“O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
What was so important about not cutting your hair back then? Anywho, this is a perfect example of how perserverance and patience can be rewarding. It was always God’s plan to give her a child but the time was not right until…well… the time was right. Sometimes we have to wait for God’s timing in the things we want most because His timing will always be better then our own.
14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
we have to pour out our lives till we hurt inside and can not stand it that is how much we love God.
18 … Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
It’s amazing how radical the change was that came over Hannah. There had not been an opportunity for God to answer her prayer, yet she put her trust fully in Him to do so, or to provide for her if He had another plan in mind. As troubled as she was, she was able to truly lay her cares at the feet of the Lord and rely on His strength. This is something that I need to learn how to do. Too often I pray about things, but still worry about them, trying to overcome the issue in my own strength. Instead, i need to trust God’s plan to be the best, and for HIm to provide for me; and in this confidence, I need to stop worrying about the situation, instead living to bring Him glory in everything.
this chapter to me is all about telling the truth, becase Hanah coulsd have easily kept Samuel and not done what she said, but she gave him back to the Lord as soon as she could. that would be so hard to do, i mean how many times have you said i will do this if you give me that, and then you dont do what you say you would, i know i have said it a lot, and i always say it about things that are meaningless. but when you say it about something as important to you as a child, and you keep that promise, it takes great dedication and honesty
c u all later
this was a great story, i love how powerful God is and how he portrays this in this chapter.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord;
i love this verse and it was the one that stood out to me because this is something that i hope to apply to m y own life. not gunna lie its hard getting up early but this shows such dedication to the Lord and it pleases Him to see us make the effort and sacrifice that half hour of extra sleep unto Him, after all we are His Slaves!
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Hannah is such a great example of a faithful servant of the Lord! When the Lord granted her request and gave her the gift of a son, she wanted to offer him up to the Lord. This made me think of the great gift that God has given us, salvation through Jesus Christ! Since God has given me this gift, in return I want to be, as Romans 12:1 says, offering my body as a living sacrifice to the Lord. Just like Hannah in return, offered up her son to the Lord, I need to be offering up my life to the one who actually gives me life! Praise God for the wonderful gift of salvation! (among the many other wonderful gifts he gives) (:
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
This is a great verse!! It shows how deditcated and faithful Hannah was in the Lord. I wish i was more like Hannah because, just like Beth said, she keeps her word to the Lord and actually follows through on giviing Samuel over to Him to be a priest. So many people promise things and ask God for certain things but dont follow through with them. We need to be all for God 100% and love Him with ALL we have!!!
MARANATHA!!!!!!!!
11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
I thought it was cool that she wanted a son so bad but if she got one she was willing to give him back to God and not keep him for her self. This is a good example for me to give all that I have or want to God.
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
These verses just encouraged me on how I should be praising God. Throughout the Bible, God does some pretty ridiculously amazing stuff like giving children to women who couldn’t normally have any. And the cool thing to see is when people like Hannah become so thankful and praising to God when He answers their prayers. I know that God has done some pretty miraculous things in my life as well, blessings that I can’t even begin to count. I pray that I would truly rejoice and give praise to Him like I should, as people like Hannah did, instead of just taking His blessings for granted and continuing with my life without even acknowledging His grace.
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
I think it is very inspiring to see Hannah’s faith in the LORD. She was patient and never ceased to pray and ask God for a child. She trusted in Him and knew that He would bless her with what He felt she needed. In reading things like this it makes me understand that I need to focus more on trusting God in tough times and stiuations. I need to rely on God more and have faith that He will do whats best for me.
Hophni and Phinehas,
Just wanted to say I love this verse. If only the other guys name was Ferb. Is anyone with me?(:
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.
So many times I hear this around people…pray and you will fear better. Or just things where if you ask God to make you better he will. Now this is not all necesarilly true, but it is is a lot of ways. I’ve learned in the past year or two that God is the ultimate comforter. Going to him beats having 100 girlfriends in your room crying with you. Seriously-he is the ultimate satisfaction. And also-he is the only one that can actually help! I have to remember that he has the whole world in his hands, as well as he knows the master plan. I need to trust and rely in him for everything, and go to him in my times of distress.
Totally agree shermanator! :D
I love 1 Samuel. Even within the first chapter, we see a contrast in the righteous open-handedness of Hannah when receiving the ultimate gift, the harsh cruelty of Peninah’s ridicule, & the later-to-be-seen wickedness of Hophni & Phineas (in fact, Phineas will later have a son named Ichabod, which loosely means “the glory has left”–how’s that for a rough name?!). God doesn’t try to hide anyone’s sin or smut in historical narrative; it’s more “what you see is what you get.” As I read through 1 Samuel again, I’m going to take special note of the righteousness of the Godly & the wickedness of the ungodly, asking myself the question, “what would my life look like in print if someone were to chronicle ALL my deeds?” Convicting?!
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Hannah is a great example of a woman who poured out her heart to the Lord and didn’t forget to thank Him when she received the answer to her prayer. Lately this is something I’ve been trying to do. When I ask God for something and He ends up giving it to me, I am really trying to remember to let Him know immediately how grateful I am. I know I don’t deserve any good gifts…it’s by God’s grace alone that He chooses to give me every good thing I have.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
This verse is great because it shows us how GOD answers prayers. Hannah prayed for a sun, and GOD gave her one out of his great mercy. If we pray to GOD he will fufill our needs. GOD is so good. He always gives us what we need.
26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Hannah’s test of faith and loyalty to God is such a great example to me. She kept her promise about offering her son to live for God. It’s a bigger way of saying she dedicated her baby to God. Her story is also a good example about prayer–God always answers prayers, even though the answer might not always be “yes”, and it might not always be within the next 5 minutes or even the next 5 months. It’s important to be patient. This is a lesson I need to keep practicing over and over—being very patient and trusting in him.
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
It’s amazing how God will answer all of our prayers, but it is so sad how many times people forget to thank him for granting their specific requests. I’ve sometimes asked God for something and when he gave me what I wanted, I forgotten that it was God’s gift and don’t remember to thank him. I would like to have the same amount of greatfulness that Hannah has here. She was so glad that she gave up here only son to God. I need to remember to thank God for everything that he gives me.
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
What I got from this verse was that when we need God, we need to completely pour out our absolute EVERYTHING to Him.
He’ll listen everytime and answer everytime.
Maybe it’s not the way you wanted your prayer to be answered but you gotta remember, Romans 8:28, “All things work together for good to those who love God and those who are called according to His purpose.” (LOVE THAT BOOK! And this one, too! But I have a special attachment to Romans :D)
Pouring out my soul to the Lord is what I would think as like the ultimate spiritual detox.
It’s so good for you, and you feel so great after it’s all said and done!
Ah God is just SO GOOD!
I can just never get enough of Him or His creation :)
All praise to Him :)
Aren’t you just LOVING this rain?!? :D
28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Great Scripture!
This is how all of our lives should be. Waiting and longing constantly for the Lord. Being a humble servant at the tasks required, not falling into sin like we imperfect beings do. Most of all making God priority number one! Lets go for it!
this chapter is really cool cuz it reminds me of that one verse, “ask and the Lord will give; knock and doors will be opened” something in that manner but i forgot the ref for that. anyhow, like alyssa said, God answers our prayers but not always *snaps fingers* just like that, whether it be a yes, or no, or just to wait until the time is right.
16… for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.”
i love how passionately Hannah prays! she tells eli that she is telling God of her great anxiety and vexation. i think it is awesome how we can talk to God like we can! we are always able to talk to Him, we dont need a priest, for Christ is our mediator! and we know also that we can cast all of our anxieties on Him! that is so encouraging and awesome! i need to be casting my anxieties on God, for i know that He hears me! and i have access to God all the time, and i need to be making use of it. i need to be praying continually like 1 Thessalonions 5:17 tells me to! please God help me to be following Hannah’s example and pouring our my anxieties and leaning of You! help me make use of one of the many gifts You have given me!
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Hannah prayed. Consistently she prayed. Continually she prayed. And God granted her a son. Then, instead of being thankful for getting what she asked for and totally forgetting about God (which, sad to say, I do sometimes) she decides to give up the son she just got and give him back to the Lord. What a great example. Nothing I have is truly mine, it is all a gift from the Lord. I need to give it right back. All I have and all I am I give to serve the Lord.
And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
Wow! this is dedication to the Lord. Hannah is a true servant to God, and it is evident that she only wants to please him. Even though she didnt have any children, and she desperately wanted to, she told God that if he blessed her with a child, she would give her child to God! She values God more than anything else, even her own son! Hannah is such a great role model as a godly woman, who wants to only please God!
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
This verse shows how Hannah got rewarded for her faithfulness to the Lord. She is so faithful to the Lord that she gave up her son to Him. Hannah is a great example of how we should be faithful to our Lord and how He blesses you. Trust in the Lord always!
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord.
I like how it sais they rose EARLY in the morning, with everything going on they were not sluggards and sleeping in they were waking up early morning to worship the lord! thats awsome
Yee skyler—keep it up!
This chapter shows us an awesome example of prayer. If we pray with faith that the Lord always listens and always answers us in some way, then we will see the power of God more in our lives. Prayer is the way we communicate with the Lord. It is a power us Christians have. So let’s use it.
18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Of course I love Hannah’s major act of devotion in giving up her son, but while reading through 1 Samuel this time around I was struck by her act of faith and obedience in these verses. Hannah cries out to God in distress, and when Eli tells her to go in peace (and trust that God hears her), she immediately does just that. Even though she’s been troubled for a long while about not having a child, she doesn’t dwell on the issue once she’s handed it over to God. There are definitely moments in my life when I feel distress and cry out to the Lord, but when I’m prompted by another Christian, or the Bible, or the Holy Spirit to relax and trust that God hears me, I want my response to be like Hannah’s.
Verse 27 “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.”
This woman is a great example of faith!!! She prayed to God and he answered!!! Sometime I dont have the patience to slow down and pray to God for whatever I need, but no matter what we ask, if we ask it with a sincere heart, God will grant it to us!! Now we may not get answer the next day or even in the same year but God will always look upon our prayers and answer them how he pleases!!!! God is so great and listens to all of our prayers!!!!!
MARANATHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
I love this verse cause it reassures us that God does answer our prayers and that he will always give us what we ask if its his will. We can have faith that we can always go to the lord with requests that he will give us if they are righteous and for him.
I read:) Awesome chapter. Short post though:( I’m superrrr tired!! No excuses though, I just think my post would be a foreign language of tiredness!! Post better tomorrow though:)
Maranatha!!!!
haha Nicole! Glad to see you still read despite being so tired- I know how it feels!
I want to be more like Hannah in that I can rely on God and put my faith/hope/trust in Him even when I am suffering. I also liked how when God granted her a son she didn’t just go “okay thanks” but wanted to devote the child’s life to Him and continue serving Him. I think that is very admirable.
AMEN!!! (:
I am right there with you! I want to be eternally grateful for everything that the Lord has put in my life. LIving my entire life, with all of the awesome things he has given me, to glorify HIM!!!
It is so encouraging to see you on here!!!
I love how Hannah was always praying to the Lord and pouring out her soul. During her hard times she clung to the Lord. She was honest about her feeling and prayed about them and the Lord answered her!
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
When I pray, it should be like Hannah, “pouring out my soul before the Lord”. Sometimes I get it in my mind that it has to “sound” (if thoughts were sound…) “good” or something. But in that pursuit I lose the real meaning of what I am trying to convey. I need to remember that God knows my thoughts anyway, and if something doesn’t quite come out right in the transition from feeling to thought/words I don’t need to be scared that God won’t understand what I tried to say or something. Therefore I have no excuse for not “pouring out my soul”….in fact, this is the one thing where it is better not to think before I “speak” because then it would be like censoring my prayers, thus not pouring out my soul. It sounds kind of backwards, but thinking about it that way it actually makes more sense.
By the way..I was just thinking the other day how I need to read more of the Old Testament! So I’m really excited for 1 Samuel!
26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.
Hannah kept that continuous connection with God. God finally granted her, because she kept trust in him and faith that He would grant the petition she made to Him.
This example can be aplied to anyone. When we come before God, and stand in His presence…how do we treat this opportunity? Do we treat the ability to pray to God like something unimportant and just a given right? Do we pray with confidence that He WILL answer? Praying to God is bigger than one would think. The everlasting, the creator, the patient one, the all powerful being whose face we cannot even look at because of his holiness, listens to us!!!
Let me put it like this: What if you got to talk to your all-time favorite actor and he/she listens to you and acctually cares about what your saying? I dont know about you, but if I got to talk to someone like Clint Eastwood, I WOULD GO CRAZY! It would be sick! Do you see the parallel im trying to make? Obviously…..God is WAY bigger and WAY more important than some actor! Why cant we get excited when we talk to God, the same way we would get excited if we talked to our favorite actor? There is obviously something wrong with the view people take with this.
Here is a big reason why people are more excited about talking to someone famous than God. Who do people mainly devote their thinking time to? Do they think about that awesome celebrity or God more?…………See, it comes down to who is on our mind more often. I have a feeling that we dont meditate and get ourselves thinking about God as much as we should.
“How do I get God on my mind?” one might ask…..it’s simple…..READ THE BIBLE. The Bible is what gets me thinking about God. Scripture of the Day is a great tool to use because high school students are commenting about God every day. Just take a look at most of the comments on this page….they are all about GOD! You could also find worship songs to listen to, people to talk to, books to read, even looking at His creation gets me to think about him….. Thinking about him yet?
In this chapter Hannah is keeping that strong bond with God when she needs it most. She prays to Him, and He answers. God is big in her world because she thinks of Him often…..just as we should. Let’s follow her Godly example and keep God in our lifelong picture! PAINT HIM BIG!
WOW!! This is an absolutely amazing comment Luke, and got me thinking alot!!! There are so many encouraging things in here!!! Me and Allie and Summer were just talking today in the car about how we ned to have in on the forefront of our minds constantly and about ways that we can do that! It gets me so excited to come on here and to read all of these amazing comments about GOD!! You don’t find many high schoolers doing that!!
You have encouraged me major!!!!
AMAZING COMMENT LUKE!!! (: SO encouraging!
good to hear!! Im gald it encouraged someone else!
27For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28Therefore I have lwnt him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.—Wow Hannah is such a great example of what servant for the LORD is! She was willing to give her baby to God because what he did for her. I need to remember that God does keep promises and he has promised me eternal life with him if i have faith in him and live out what he commands. I need to make sure everything I have belongs to the LORD so he can use for however he would like to bring glory to his name! LORD, I belong to you! Use me ane shape me in whatever way that will help your kingdom! :D
MARANATHA!!!
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
Elise, I loved your comment! I want to imitate Hannah in how she was faithful in her word to the Lord and poured out her heart to God. There is a temptation to run to other people and disclose our thoughts to them, but really I need to take everything to God in prayer before I ever said anything to someone else. My prayer is that I would grow more in daily reliance on the Lord by taking up anything and everything with him first, pouring out my heart to him.
13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard.
I read this verse and i took it in a way that i should be praying to the Lord from my heart and not from my mouth. i does not matter what comes from my mouth because anyone could just falsely say something even they don’t believe it. Your heart holds te truth of what you really mean. I love the lord with all my heart and i will speak to him through it.
Hannah trusted God with all of her heart especially when things weren’t going her way. I need to be the same way! This chapter reminded me that in all things I should have faith in God and remember that his will is holy and perfect!
Maranatha!!!!!!!!!!!!
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
As many of you have commented already, Hannah is a great example of prayer. Her prayers were answers and it is clear she was not praying for selfish reasons but she wanted to give God the glory as we can see from giving him her son. This make me want to pray more so that I will be answered by God and so that this will bring him glory!
20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
One problem that I have this fairly repetitive is worrying about things too much, or stressing out over things. I know that God will take care of everything that happens to me, and everything will go according to his pleasing and perfect will, but sometimes I still get worried about things.. mostly at school. Hannah was infertile, yet God performed the MIRACLE of letting her give birth to a son. Yet I still find myself wondering if things are going to be okay? I just need to realize that He is in control of everything, and I just need to follow his plan. Sure, things won’t always go how I want them to, but I trust that the God of the Universe’s plan is a little bit better than mine.
MARANATHA!
28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
A lot of the time I find myself more concerned about school or something like that than I am about following God. I should never take my mind off of the lord but always do what I can do to please the Lord. Even though I might slip up every now and then I should always be trying to be 100% for the God.
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
I loved this verse!! This reminds me of a recent Girls’ Workshop and how Christa talked about going to God first and foremost with everything and praying to Him about troubles or worries, ect., instead of running to others first and telling them. Hannah poured out her heart to the Lord in prayer! I want to follow Hannah’s example in going to the Lord with everything and with my heart and praying to him in that way. I want to go to God first with everything!
I am encouraged at Hannah’s love for the Lord. She asked fervently for what she desired, and when the Lord answered her prayer, she gave it up to the Lord. Everything she had was HIS!
I am so excited to dig into this book after reading Bobby’s blog!!
22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.”
I love Hannah’s faithfulness in this passage! She told the Lord that she would present Samuel to the Lord if he granted her a son and then once he was born, she did it! Many people would be unwilling to sacrifice their child, but Hannah was true to her word and gave her son to the Lord. I need to make sure I am true to my word too. That I am someone who follows through on promises.
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.
It doesn’t sound like Hannah’s life (before her son) was very nice. However, despite her situation, Hannah clearly had faith in God. And what better person to take your problems/struggles to than the creator and ruler of all things? When she was in distress, she found comfort in talking to the Lord.
Likewise, we too, today, can talk to God, but on an even closer level than was possible in the times of the Old Testament. As Christians, we have the ability to “enter in” to the very presence of God through Jesus Christ! We can speak directly to the Lord, through Jesus, as opposed to how it was done back then by the priests only. What an awesome gift! I know, however, that I do not utilize prayer enough. There are innumerable things that I could pray for every single day, and yet some days I nearly go without speaking to the Lord. God, please give me a genuine reliance on You through prayer.
I love Hannah’s attitude in this chapter; it makes me want to be like her! She is so sad that she doesn’t have children but she trusts the Lord completely, she pours out her soul to HIM instead of taking out her anger/sadness on Peninnah, who’s clearly just trying to make her life worse. It would have been totally normal, in the world’s eyes, for this to go the opposite way, for Hannah to have lashed out against her rival and laughed in God’s face and just be bitter for the rest of her life. But she DIDN’T, she trusted and gave it all to Him and He blessed her for it! And that is sooo encouraging!!
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.
Hannah is a great example of one dependent on the Lord through prayer. She had been pouring out her soul before the Lord. This was not a one time thing but was a pattern in Hannah’s life. I want to become more dependent on prayer and lay my burdens humbly at the foot of the Lord. Like Haley said, not running to others to pour out my heart, I want to go to the Lord first. Especially in times of distress, the Lord needs to be my anchor and the one I turn to in prayer.
If there’s one thing I’ve taken away from this chapter, it’s the extreme levels of prayer and worship going on!
Their life is filled with sincere prayer, which has inevitably rewarded them with a son.
Just goes to show the power of prayer.
Hannah is such a godly woman! It’s such a encouragement and an awesome example to see how Hannah totally puts her full confidence in God! She just has a radical amount of trust that God has a plan for her and her bearing a son! 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. I really love how she says she is pouring out her soul before the Lord! Pouring, completely emptying out her heart to the Lord and putting her full confidence in Him! What an amazing woman! I strive to take after Hannah’s example!!
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah.
I am a very lazy person, especially when it comes to sleep. I always want to sleep in as late as I possibly can. I pray that God can give me the desire and the discipline to worship Him from dawn until dusk, and do whatever He wants and not what i want in my life.
Thats my prayer too brother Matt.
because the Lord had closed her womb
I like this verse because it points that the reason Hannah could’t get pregnant is because God who is Sovereign had closed her womb. In his perfect plan God knew that the closing of Hannah’s womb would drive her to prayer and cause her to dedicate her first child soley to the work of the Lord. God is always working for the good of those who believe in him, so don’t be discouraged by your circumstances. Just get excited to see how God will use it for good. Easier said then done for sure. God please give me the strenght to trust when things aren’t going well.
I’m really happy to be starting a new chapter to learn more about God.
So the major thing I first felt in this chapter was sorrow for Hannah when she was put down and seen as a drunk as well as the fact that she was unable to have a child. But as God as our savior and hers her faith was seen through Gods eyes and he could see clearly that she was devoted to him. Through this devotion God could see that if he allowed her to have a child she would be able to devote that child to him as she promised. So through Hannahs strong faith she was able to come out strong in God,s love and also given a chance to put her love into her son. God knew Hannah was the right women to have that child.
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.
You cannot minimize Hannah’s grief in this chapter. The Bible clearly does not; it uses phrases like “deeply distressed” and “wept bitterly.”
18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
Therefore, you cannot minimize the power of prayer. After pouring her heart out to the Lord, Hannah is transformed from a sad and distressed woman to someone who is eating and no longer sad.
This reinforces what I’ve been thinking about from Romans 12:12 – Be constant in prayer!
20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
we/I need to remember the power and importance of prayer. God listens to all of us and wants to give us what is best (even if we don’t understand), but we still need to ask Him! Just like Hannah asked for a son, I need to pray with sincerity and passion.
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly
i liked how hannah went straight to prayer when she was in a time of trouble. she was so upset and distressed and instead of trying to take it all upon herself or try to fix it without God she turned directly toward God for help. she knew that God would be able to take care of it better than anyone else possibly could. i want to work on turnig to prayer as my first resort for anything that comes my way. i want to make sure that prayer comes out instead of worry and stress
There is one thing that was really cool to me in this chapter. It seemed to me that many times it said that the people woke up early or rose early to bring sacrifice to God or worship God!! This is something that i have made a goal many times to do but have failed again and again. This is something that I am going to strive to do!!! We should all try to make an effort to make a time in the morning no matter if we have an early first period or what not!!! This will most def set the mood for our day and show that we are more focussed on Christ than sleep or whatever!!!!
1 Samuel 1
In this chapter we see Hannah refer to herself as a servant five times. This was a woman who knew holiness and served the Lord with her whole heart. Hannah personified a woman who lived a selfless life as a sacrifice to God. What a great example that we need to meditate on to even understand what a servant of the Lord looks like. I wonder how many of us who profess Christ has thought about exactly what a doulos (Slave) to God is and what do we do. We know that thru Christ’s death and resurrection we were freed from our old self so we are no longer slaves to sin.
Romans 6:6 6 We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.
Thru this transaction we become servants (slaves) to God. Living lives that are not our own but lives lived as a living sacrifice to God just as we see here with Hannah offering Her and Her son Samuel as a servant to the Lord. I hope that thru this chapter we all can meditate on exactly what being a servant of the Lord God really means. Everything changes in our lives because God’s will and His desires for our life trump our own. Lord God help me to live as a servant for your perfect will and not my own.
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Go Hannah! This chapter was super encouraging tonight. It reminded me to bring all my prayers and requests to the Lord and have faith that he will answer them. They might not always be the answers I am looking for but I still trust in his sovereignty. I love that Hannah remained faithful and kept her word to God. I want to follow her example and commit to everything that I say I will do. God will totally honor that! I am so thankful for the bible and for every story we can learn from in it!
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
Hannah is a legit woman who is on fire for God! I want to be more like her! It is awesome how she desired to have a son and she says that she poured out her heart to God and he granted her prayer. Not only did she get what she desired, but she gave Him up for the Lord! THat must have been so hard to do and i wonder if i do that. Like if i want something, do i just get it and keep it all to myself? I could be more like Hannah in that way. “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord.” I love this verse because it makes me question if i value my time with God everyday and if i just pray simple, meaningless prayers or if i pour out my heart and dig deep like Hannah did. Hannah is such a great example! Everyone had such great comments on here and i am really encouraged to be more like Hannah!
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
And he worshiped the Lord there.
How amazing to have had her prayers that she had been praying so fervently answered! She was so amazing and so thankful to the LORD that she GAVE her son to him. im sure that wasnt easy at all, yet she did it out of her passion for the LORD. I want to be more like Hannah in that way… pray continuously and believe in the LORD’s power and give HIm all praise and glory!