Hannah
lived in a society in which childless women were viewed as purposeless. To make
matters worse, her husband had another wife who happened to be fertile. Year
after year, Hannah had to put up with her rival’s deliberate provocation.
Hannah was obsessed with having a child, even though her husband seemed to have
been very supportive in spite of her barrenness. Finally, on a pilgrimage to
Shiloh, “in bitterness of soul,” we read, “Hannah wept much and prayed to the
Lord.” She made a deal with God: give her a son and she would give the son back
to the Lord. This doesn’t strike me as a good deal for Hannah but it’s what she
wanted so the Lord delivered (no pun intended).
While I can’t imagine myself in Hannah’s sandals, and I
would caution you against negotiating with God, I have to admire her for
knowing what she wanted and not being afraid to ask for it. Her bold, specific
prayer puts some of my wishy-washy requests to shame. You see, I am often
afraid to tell God exactly what I want because . . . I’m afraid I might get it.
I know from experience that what I want for myself is not always what’s best
for me. I can’t see ahead to the repercussions that might result from having my
wishes fulfilled, so my prayers for myself are often vague and cowardly. This
reveals something that I hate to admit: apparently, I don’t trust God to keep
his promise that he will work for my good in all things (Romans 8: 28).
What about you? Are you reluctant to be bold and specific in
your prayers? What prevents you from telling God what you really want? Perhaps
all our excuses may be reduced to one
glaring reason: we don’t trust God
enough. God wants us to present our requests to him (Philippians 4: 6) and to
trust him to keep his word. If the peace
of God which transcends all understanding is his promise (Philippians 4:
7), why should we expect less than the best in response to our prayers?
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