The God Who Answers Prayer - 1 Samuel 1:9-20

How’s your prayer life? If someone was to follow you around and count how many times you pray throughout the day what would they discover?

I’m sure we’d all be humbled, wouldn’t we? But perhaps a better question we must ask ourselves is why don’t we pray? Why is prayer such an afterthought for so many of us?

I think most of us believe that God hears our prayers, but he’s ultimately going to do what he’s going to do. We don’t actually think that prayer bears fruit. And so at the end of the day, we simply don’t believe there is any power in prayer.

It’s almost as if our views on God’s sovereignty short circuits what we believe about prayer. And so what ends up happening for many of us is our prayer life is anemic, and the only time we ever spend in prayer is when it is socially acceptable like right before a meal.

But the Scriptures make it abundantly clear that Christians should be a praying people, because there is real power in prayer.

Prayer is not a useless spiritual exercise. It’s not a pointless ritual that God commands - no there is real power in it, which is why we should do it.

And that’s precisely what we see in this passage.

First, we see that Hannah turns to the Lord in her distress. Second, we’ll see the beautiful content of Hannah’s prayer. And lastly, we’ll see the results of Hannah’s prayer.

Last week, we were introduced to Hannah and her life which was incredibly depressing wasn’t it? She was married to a polygamist. Remember her husband Elkanah had another wife, Peninnah. That’s already bad, but then you have to add to the equation that Hannah was barren, while Peninnah was not. Peninnah had children, and she would mock Hannah’s barrenness every year when they went up to the Tabernacle to worship the Lord.

Suddenly, a joyous time of year, became a torturous annual event for Hannah.

Her life was hopeless wasn’t it?

Hannah’s Distress (vv. 9-10)

But the year described in our passage, apparently Hannah had had enough of Peninnah’s mockery and we’re told, “After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose.”

Apparently, everyone else was eating and having a good time, except for Hannah who was in such anguish over her circumstances in life that she wasn’t eating.

And she rose and went to the Tabernacle where Eli the high priest was sitting in his high priestly chair. Remember the temple wasn’t built until King Solomon, and the Hebrew word for temple can also mean palace or nave.

But regardless she goes to the house of worship where she took her distress, “and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly.”

And of course, this is significant because for the ancient people of Israel the Tabernacle represented the very presence of God, which on the surface seems a little counterintuitive doesn’t it?

After all, isn’t her crummy situation God’s fault? Wouldn’t we expect her to run away from God’s presence?

That’s the natural temptation in the midst of a trial isn’t it? To blame God and abandon him altogether.

But notice that’s not Hannah’s thought process. Her life is miserable. She’s barren, and the only one who has the power to change her circumstances in life is the living God! She runs into the Tabernacle, the very presence of the Lord, to pray.

Hannah took her pain, her suffering, her distress to the Lord.

Isn’t that one of the primary ways God uses trials in our lives? Not to push us out of his presence but to draw us into his presence! And Hannah did just that! She was overwhelmed, sobbing, and suffering so she ran into the presence of the Lord.

Hannah’s Prayer (vv. 10-17)

One of my biggest preaching pet peeves, is when a pastor uses vague, unclear euphemistic language. Sort of like… running into the presence of the Lord. But there are other church cliches like let go and let God, God never gives you more than you can handle, draw near to Him, this sort of thing. And of course, I’m not questioning anyone’s motives who uses those sorts of phrases, my point is that they’re so generic it’s difficult to pin down what is meant. Are we talking about reading your Bible, going to church, or spending more time in prayer? What are we really talking about here?

But I hope you know what we’re talking about here in this passage when I say, “run into the presence of God” - I’m talking about going to God in prayer. Because it’s through prayer, we’re able to enter into the throne room of God. Which is exactly what Hannah does in our passage!

She runs to God because she wants to speak to him. Through her tears and the sobs, we’re given the content of her prayer in verse 11.

“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.”

There are several elements to Hannah’s prayer that I want to draw your attention to: the first thing is she knows who God is.

Perhaps you noticed that Hannah used a specific name for God: In her prayer she addressed God as, “Lord of hosts.” It’s a name that acknowledges God’s sovereign power over all things. Interestingly enough, God is referred to as, “the Lord of hosts,” in several different places in the book of Exodus.

The Lord of hosts is a reference to God’s sovereignty and power. And so Hannah is making a connection here: She’s calling upon the God who sent ten plagues on the Egyptians, the God who parted the sea so that the Israelites could pass through on dry land, the God who brought his people out of the land of slavery.

The all-powerful Lord of hosts has worked wonders in the lives of his people.

But not only was Hannah very aware of who she was addressing in her prayer, she was also aware of who she was.

Did you notice how she referred to herself in her prayer? She calls herself a “servant.”

“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…”

Just within her prayer she refers to herself as a servant three times. She exalts God to his rightful place, and recognizes who see was.

Her prayer communicates reverence for the Lord and a deep sense of personal humility. Hannah’s not approaching God with a list of demands. No, she’s approaching him as a humble servant making her request before the King of the universe.

But there is optimism within her prayer because she knows that God, the Lord of hosts, who saved his people from the Egyptians hears the prayers of his people. Exodus 3:7 says,

“Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians…”

Hannah is mirroring that language in her prayer! In the same way God saw the affliction of his people in Egypt, Hannah asks God to see her affliction. Hopefully, you can see the case that Hannah is making to God in her prayer: If the God of the universe heard the cries of his people and delivered them out of slavery, that same God hears my cries and can deliver me from my suffering.

It’s an amazing prayer isn’t it? And yet at the same time she’s not using flowery language, throwing herself a pity party, or calling down vengeance on Peninnah.

Rather, she’s appealing to God’s holy, perfect, and righteous character. She simply saying, “God, I’m asking you to do for me what I know you’ve done throughout history!” It’s powerful isn’t it?

The third element of Hannah’s prayer that’s important for us to look at is - she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted a baby boy and she wasn’t afraid to boldly go before the Lord to make her requests known to him.

“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 almost taboo to do such a thing in our modern evangelical world, because it seems too forward, arrogant, or presumptuous to directly express the desires of your heart to God. And so we tend to soften, couch, or hedge our prayers.

Of course, it is important to remember who God is and who you are - you and I aren’t in a position to make demands of God, but we can, like Hannah, make our requests known to the Lord.

In fact, God wants us to make our requests known to him. Paul says that in Philippians 4!

“...do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

Too often we conflate telling God the desires of our heart with telling God what to do. But of course, that’s not true. Making your requests known to Him is not the same as making demands of Him.

What is true is that you and I have to accept that God may not answer our prayers in the precise manner in which we would like. He may make you wait. Or he may simply say no. The question you and I must ask ourselves is our ultimate desire for God’s will to be done?

It’s what we pray in the Lord’s prayer each week, right? Thy will be done. Which is precisely what Hannah prayed here!

But at first glance it might not look like Hannah is concerned with God’s will. It sort of looks like she's just telling God exactly what she wants.

She prayed for a baby boy who would further and accomplish God’s will! Which is the third element I want us to notice in Hannah’s prayer: she prayed for God’s will to be done.

Perhaps you noticed that in verse 11, Hannah, “vowed a vow.” And that vow was a little unusual wasn’t it?

But she says at the end of verse 11: “​​then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

She’s saying that if God gives her a boy, she’ll put him under a Nazarite vow. The Nazarite vow is outlined in Numbers 6, but someone under a Nazarite vow would separate themselves in order to fully devote themselves to the Lord.

Normally, a person would stay under a Nazarite vow for a limited period of time, and while under the Nazarite vow, they would abstain from things like drinking alcohol, touching a dead body, or cutting their hair. The most famous Nazarite was Samson.

But what does Hannah say in her prayer? If God gives her a boy, she’ll put him under a Nazarite vow for his entire life.

Not only does it sound like Hannah is just telling God what she wants, but it sounds like Hannah is so desperate she’s bargaining with God doesn’t it? God if you give me a child, then I’ll give you his life. And if she was bargaining with God, then she would be entirely wrong.

But of course, that’s not the case. One of the things being highlighted in this entire passage is that Hannah was a godly woman!

No doubt, Hannah desperately wanted a baby boy, but there is tremendous sacrifice associated with her vow. She was offering to forego the joys of parenting a little boy along with the improved social standing that she would enjoy as a mother.

Why would she do that? Why would she ask for a baby boy and vow to give him to God?

Because she didn’t think her desire for a baby boy necessarily opposed the will of God. In fact, she believed that if God gave her a boy he could be used to accomplish the will of God.

It’s very likely that Hannah would have been reflecting on Samson. After all she’s living during the time of the judges, one of the greatest judges in Israel was Samson. Samson was a Nazarite, not only that, but his mother was barren for many years before he was born!

The parallels are undeniable. And so, by offering to give her baby boy to the Lord - she was essentially asking God if she could play a small role in His grand plan of salvation. Would you give me a boy who would remain faithful to you and help lead the lost people of Israel?

Because again, the people of Israel were leaderless! Eli wasn’t getting the job done. His sons were making a mockery of the worship of the living God.

And so Hannah had to have thought, “Lord as you gave Manoah’s barren wife Samson who led and delivered God’s people, give me a son to lead Israel and further your plan of salvation.”

Really isn’t that what we should all pray for our children? Of course we want our children to have successful careers and loving families, but more than that, don’t we want our children to be wholly devoted to the Lord and have a desire to expand the kingdom of God?

We want our children to be about accomplishing God’s will. We want our children to live for him, amen? And Hannah’s prayer is really exemplary in that way.

And we never stop praying for our children! Parents of wayward children, you too must continue to pray this prayer. How do you know the Lord won’t answer it? We must pray this prayer until the day that you pass into glory.

That was the essence of Hannah’s prayer! She wanted to have a boy who was wholly devoted to God and would help fill the leadership void in Israel.

I mean even in this passage, Eli’s lack of discernment is on full display when he jumps to conclusions about Hannah.

Look at verse 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.”

He assumed Hannah was drunk because she was moving her mouth but her voice wasn’t heard as she poured her heart out before the Lord. Which on one level speaks to the chaos in Israel, right? Apparently, people were going into the Tabernacle drunk. But it also speaks to Eli’s lack of discernment. He can’t tell the difference between a woman who is sincerely praying before the Lord and a woman who was drunk.

Frankly, it’s even worse when you consider the fact that he quickly condemns a godly woman in prayer, all the while turning a blind eye towards his sons’ priestly malpractice. But again, doesn’t even this little interchange speak to the overall leadership crisis in Israel? Which makes Hannah’s prayer all the more powerful! She saw the crisis and asked God if she could play a small role in helping fill the void!

Look at how Hannah responds to Eli’s accusation in verses 15-16:

“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.”

Hannah’s response wreaks of earnestness and sincerity, doesn’t it? Her response is patient and earnest. She asks Eli to not regard her as a “worthless woman.”

Ironically, 1 Samuel later will say that Eli’s sons were “worthless” men. And obvious distinction between Eli’s sons and Hannah is that Hannah knew the Lord, but they did not.

Hannah's love for the Lord is on full display, isn’t it? A rich private prayer life is a good indicator of one’s walk with the Lord.

Once Eli understood what was going on, he gave this warm blessing upon Hannah’s prayer. “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”

The Results of Hannah’s Prayer (vv. 18-20)

But it’s what we're told happens next is incredibly profound. Look at verse 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.”

Remember Hannah hadn’t eaten, but now she returns and eats. Her tears have dried. Her frown has turned upside down. She’s no longer sad.

And it’s even more interesting when you consider the fact that her immediate circumstances haven’t changed at all! Her life is, for all intents and purposes, just as depressing as it was at the beginning of the chapter!

Which brings us to one of the most powerful elements of prayer: it changes us. Prayer changes us.

Prayer helps us see what’s truly important in life. There’s a clarity that only comes through prayer, which is exactly what Hannah experienced.

The Bible commentator, Matthew Henry said that Hannah, “believed that God would either give her the mercy she had prayed for or make up the want of it to her some other way.”

Hannah’s countenance completely changed after she poured her heart out before the Lord and received that warm blessing from Eli, didn’t it?

Hannah had humbled herself before the Lord and the Lord had lifted her up.

But it’s not just that prayer changes us, prayer has the power to change our circumstances too!

Of course, it's God who ultimately changes our circumstances. After all, we’re told that Elkanah and his family rose early in the morning, worshiped the Lord, and that the Lord “remembered [Hannah].”

Much in the same way we’re told in Exodus 2 that, “God heard [the people of Israel’s] groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.”

As the commentator John Woodhouse said, “Whenever God “remembered” his people, it led to his action on their behalf.”

And of course, we know the action: God answered Hannah’s prayer and gave her a little boy who she named Samuel.

We’re too quick to dismiss prayer. Scripture teaches that God not only hears our prayers, but answers them too! Which is to simply reiterate the point that I made at the beginning of the sermon - there is tremendous power in prayer.

And of course, we can have great confidence in prayer knowing that we don’t go before God on our own. We go to God in prayer through faith in Jesus Christ. He’s our advocate.

And we can be so bold before the Lord, not because of any merit we bring, but because of the merit of Jesus Christ.

And so we go to God in prayer, making our petitions known, submitting our desires to His will, while anticipating, looking, and desiring for him to answer them, because we know that God is good.

That’s what should give you confidence in prayer.

Amen. Let’s pray together.