Hannah: a lesson in faith and prayer

One of the women I related to the most in the Bible is Hannah. A woman who desperately wanted a child and had to suffer month after month when it was evident she hadn’t conceived. She was treated with malice and ridicule by her husband’s second wife , who was able to have child after child, but she never responded with malice in return. She may have even suffered from the pitiful, sympathetic looks from the women in her community.  Instead she suffered in silence and poured her heart out to God. Her story is told briefly in 1 Samuel 1-2:11, 19-21. While her story is short, it has an impact felt by many and, by her example, can give hope to other women who suffer from infertility. Her story is one of affliction, despair and faith. It is also an example of God’s comfort and concern for the oppressed and afflicted. 

Hannah actively avoids her husband’s second wife, Peninnah, a woman who has given birth when Hannah has not. Her husband, Elkanah, attempts to comfort her which only adds to her pain and isolation. On a yearly trip to the Tabernacle, Hannah stays behind as the rest of her family goes to rest for the night. She stays there, weeping and praying. Her lips were silent but her heart poured out to God. She prays that if God would grant her a son, she would give him to the Lord for all the days of his life (1 Samuel 1:11). When Eli, the priest, spots her, he assumes she is drunk, which was common, and confronts her. Hannah explains why she is there, Eli blesses her. Back home, Hannah conceives and gives birth to Samuel. After Samuel is weaned (about 3 years old), she takes him to Eli at the temple. Each year Hannah would present Samuel with a robe she made as the family would make the trip to the temple. Each year Eli would ask God to bless her, to replace the child she prayed for and gave up for the Lord. Hannah would become the mother of three more sons and two daughters. Like Sarah and Rachel, Hannah grieved for the children she couldn’t have. Unlike them, Hannah took her anguish directly to God. Instead of pitying herself, she poured out her heart and soul to God. 

Infertility is defined as not being able to conceive after a minimum of six months of unprotected sex. Infertility is physically and emotionally draining that despite her best efforts, a woman is unable to become pregnant. Women who cannot have children often feel less than female. The emotional pain is tremendous with debilitating personal sorrow made worse by a husband’s disappointment, pressure from the families and pity from society. Hannah was a woman of faith who turned to God when she was in the depths of her deepest sorrow. She realized only He would answer her prayer and only He could prove the consolation and purpose in life she desperately wanted. As I faced my own infertility issues, I took Hannah’s example to heart and prayed to God. After I suffered my first miscarriage in May 2010, I looked to God for answers, for guidance and peace it be His will that I never have children. I prayed that he would give the doctors wisdom and the tools. I gave birth to my first child in January 2012 but my infertility journey was not over. I would have miscarriage after miscarriage for five years until I delivered another child in August 2018. Infertility has been a humbling experience. Some women never overcome the feelings of shame and regret that they couldn’t have children at all or couldn’t have more. It is an emotional scar they carry with them for the rest of their lives. A wound that never truly heals. 

There are three lessons in Hannah’s story. First, God provides comfort and peace, not just answers to prayers. According to 1 Samuel 1:18, as she left the temple that day, her face was no longer downcast. She felt peace and comfort that only God can provide. She didn’t know if God would answer her prayer with a child but she felt at peace that God had heard her. Psalm 23:4 says, “You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.” Second, our children are gifts from God. In 1 Samuel 1:27, Hannah says “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.” She acknowledges that Samuel is the answer to her prayer. But these gifts aren’t ours to keep forever. God asks us to return them to Him as children grow up. They leave home as they pursue the purpose God has called them to do. As Hannah continues in 1 Samuel 1:28, “So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” Lastly, God is concerned for the oppressed and the afflicted. Derived from Isaiah 61:3, the song Beauty for Ashes by Crystal Lewis portrays God’s caring beautifully. The chorus states, “He gives beauty for ashes/Strength for fear/Gladness for mourning/Peace for despair.” God cares for each one of us. 

In conclusion, Hannah represents the character of an earnest petitioner and grateful recipient of divine intervention. She was bullied by another woman. Her husband tried, and failed, to comfort her. She turned to the one she knew who could help. Her prayer has been an inspiration for many women who have suffered infertility and child loss. Hannah was also a woman who kept her vow. She vowed that she would give her child to God, if she were to have a child. She could have easily said, “No. I’m not doing that.” But she didn’t. She knew that Samuel was given to her by God and to God he would be given back. Her story is also another example of God’s caring and concern to those who suffer. All we need to do is to come to him, pour out our hearts just as Hannah did. He listens and he answers. 

If you or a woman you know is suffering from infertility, I highly recommend Jennifer Saake’s book Hannah’s Hope: Seeking God’s Heart in the Midst of Infertility, Miscarriage, and Adoption Loss. It is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.