In the time of the judges there was a man who had two wives, Peninnah and Hannah. Although Peninnah had children, this man, Elkanah, loved Hannah more, even though she had born no children; the Lord had closed Hannah’s womb. Because of this barrenness, Peninnah provoked Hannah severely and made her very miserable.
One year, after Elkanah made his offerings at the temple of the Lord, Hannah was so bitter in her soul that she wept and prayed to the Lord. The priest Eli heard Hannah’s prayer and confirmed that her request for children and her oath would be fulfilled.
Indeed, Hannah gave birth to Samuel. She rejoiced and praised God.
There is no question that God listens to all of our prayers. He is there for us in times of joy and thanksgiving; He is there during all times of trouble and anguish. Yet during all of these times, are we there for God? Like Hannah, do we turn to God when we are elated and happy, and rely on Him when we are hurt or filled with worries and problems? How often we forget our Lord is there throughout our daily lives!
Because of this, sometimes when we pray to God, it feels as though our requests are left unanswered. We may lose hope and fall into more despair. It is just as likely that when we do kneel down to pray, we don’t really trust God 100 percent; therefore nothing is gained from the prayer.
There is a solution. First, we have to draw nearer to God every day of our lives. We shouldn't just think about Him during services or at key moments in our lifetime; we should meditate and remember Him at every moment. That is spiritual nurture. Secondly, we must put all of our heart and emotions into our prayers. Hannah’s anguished weeping prayer was rewarded, and so will ours if we wholly concentrate when petitioning God.
Walk in the footsteps of God, pray constantly with earnestness, and we will be blessed day by day.
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