Hannah’s Prayer of Praise 1 Then Hannah prayed: “My heart rejoices in the Lord! The Lord has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me. 2 No one is holy like the Lord! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. 3 “Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don’t speak with such arrogance! For the Lord is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions. 4 The bow of the mighty is now broken, and those who stumbled are now strong. 5 Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away. 6 The Lord gives both death and life; he brings some down to the grave but raises others up. 7 The Lord makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up. 8 He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the Lord’s, and he has set the world in order. 9 “He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone. 10 Those who fight against the Lord will be shattered. He thunders against them from heaven; the Lord judges throughout the earth. He gives power to his king; he increases the strength of his anointed one.”
1 Samuel 2:1-11
These few verses are a glimpse at what Hannah believed about God. Prior to this prayer of praise, Hannah had asked God for a son. She prayed and prayed and prayed even more for SEVEN YEARS for a son of her own. When the Lord answered her heart's cry, Hannah continued to turn to the Lord, giving HIM the glory and praise for her child. In fact, she dedicated her son Samuel completely to the Lord. As I read these words, I was again reminded that God WILL answer my prayers. Below are notes from my Bible study time - nothing fancy or planned - just honest heart thoughts as the Holy Spirit met me. I hope they encourage you.
Verses 1-7
Our confidence, certainty, trust, answers - ought to come from God. Nothing else.
He is SOVEREIGN; He answers prayers and uses the testimony for HIS glory.
Those who are strong, wealthy, mighty in the WORLD will not last. They won't. Though it may seem so right now, they will be brought down my the Lord's mighty hand.
When we look to Christ as our satisfaction, we are guaranteed to have it! When our hope, trust, and livelihood is based upon ANYTHING but him (jobs, kids, passions, hobbies, etc.) we are setting ourselves up for disappointment and ultimately not glorifying our Father in Heaven.
Verses 8-10
God CREATED -- literally formed every tree, designed every person, allowed every authority figure to be placed there -- and has kept the world going all of this time. It grieves His heart to see it like it is now -- suffering, disobedient, broken. But, if it is going to be BETTER, it is going to come from HIM. From Christ alone. He holds it all together - in fact he IS the cornerstone [Eph. 2:19] and without that what happens? It all falls apart.
It's weird to think about the future in a time like this, so instead of getting too far ahead of ourselves, let us make sure our hearts are right. Devoting time to our relationship with the Lord, ensuring it is not just stable, but DEEPLY rooted in His love and truth. We do not know exactly what is coming next, so we ought to be SPIRITUALLY prepared. We do not fight against flesh and blood [Eph. 6:12], so dedicating time to our spiritual health is the BEST thing we can do right now.
Let us fully surrender our ways, strength, and expectations to allow Him to beautifully fill the blank slate. He will answer, just like He did for Hannah and just like He has for you and me before. Let God bring the JUSTICE and see how He makes our enemies His footstool [Ps. 110:1]. As we who are imperfect rest in His perfect GRACE, may we see His MIGHTY hand at work -- not only bringing answers to our prayers but fulfilling His prophesies from The Word.
Lord, YOUR Kingdom come, YOUR will be done here in Jesus name, Amen.
I love the connection between the Lord's prayer and Hannah's answer! The passage of time does not mean God has not heard, nor does it mean He said no. Seven years later, He revealed a special avenue of His will in Samuel - a prophet who pleased the Lord with His life. Hannah's heritage is special, and she went on to have more kids! If we wait on the Lord, we will receive something far better and longer lasting than anything we try to get on our own. Praise the Lord!