SUCCESSFUL SECRET SUPPLICATION

For Hannah - her name means grace - it was a day of external anarchy, Judg. 21. 25, and internal anguish, 1 Sam. 1. 10. Her distress was not only that she was childless, but that, as the text says literally, she ‘had no children’, and every Jewish woman longed to have a son. She had long borne the insults of Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife, who had children; but she did enjoy the love of her husband.

In other situations women have been childless: one resorted to human machinations, Sarai, Gen. 16. 1; another had been praying but had stopped, Luke 1. 7; and of another we have no record of any prayer at all, Judg. 13. 2.

Hannah’s answer to her problem was continual prayer. Now, after many years of casting her care upon the Lord, her prayer was about to be answered.

Her husband Elkanah was fulfilling his obligation by appearing before the Lord, Deut. 16. 16, and he worshipped before the Lord, v. 19. Now, Hannah prayed before the Lord, v. 12, and poured out her soul before the Lord, v. 15; hence her spiritual exercise was as valid as her husband’s, even though she did not perform it audibly in public. Her fruitless physical condition was a picture of Israel’s spiritual state at the time, and the answer was the same in both cases - the birth of Samuel. Her promise was that the child ‘may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever’, v. 22. In fact, Samuel eventually ministered before the Lord, 2. 18; grew before the Lord, v. 21; poured water before the Lord, 7. 6, and laid the book before the Lord, 10. 25. All this was due to Hannah’s spiritual exercise before the Lord.

Can prayer change God’s mind? It certainly changes our minds! How long had Hannah only been praying for a son until eventually she was prepared also to vow that the child would be given to the Lord as a Nazarite from birth, v. 11 (cp. Judg. 13. 5)? God was waiting for this prayer. It had the High Priest’s blessing and was answered.

The Lord Jesus Christ told His disciples that there were occasions when they should ‘pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly’, Matt. 6. 6. God was waiting for Hannah’s silent prayer (cp. Gen. 24. 45; Neh. 2. 4), then He would bring in His answer to her sadness and the nation’s weakness.