A Praying Mother
My Mother Prayed
(A Mother’s Day Sermon)
By Marie Mason
I Samuel 1: 1-8
We are about to take a peek into the birth of one of the greatest men Israel had ever known, and a look at the heroine in this story, Samuel’s mother, a praying woman.
Chronology: The birth of Samuel was around 1100 B.C.
History: Before we begin our study of Hannah, let’s take a look at what was going on historically during this time. First, this comes after the Judges which had produced no deliverance, and evidently had gone its full course.
And, by the power of his mother’s prayer, we are able to peek into the records of Samuel’s birth.
In order to gain insight into the circumstances surrounding the history of Samuel’s family, and his birth we need to read the opening portions. Please turn to I Samuel 1: 1-8:
“Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim,
of mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the
son of Jeroboam, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu,
the son of Zuph, and Ephrathite:
And he had two wives; the name of the one was
Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah:
and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no
children. And this man went up out of his city
yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord
of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli,
Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord,
were there. And when the time was that Elkanah
offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all
her sons and her daughters, portions: But unto
Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved
Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb.
And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to
make her fret, because the Lord had shut up
her womb. And as he did so year by year, when
she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked
her; therefore she wept, and did not eat.
Then said Elkanah her husband to her, Hannah, why
weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why
is thy heart grieved? am not I better to thee than
ten sons?” (KJV)
We see from our text, a man whose name was Elkanah. The name Elkanah means: ‘a zeal of God.’ It is evident that not only was Elkanah a family man, but a godly man. For the Scripture says that, “this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord.”
Also, we see the names of Elkanah’s wives, Hannah and Peninnah. We are made aware that Elkanah, although his wife, Hannah was barren loved her. Verse 5 clearly states that: “But unto Hannah he gave a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah....” Although Hannah’s husband loved her, apparently she was not happy. Why wasn’t she happy? What was wrong? Didn’t Hannah have everything a woman could ask for.... a family man... a godly husband... a man who loved her dearly? Think about it. Before coming to a conclusion concerning this matter, let’s look at Hannah’s situation.
Hannah’s Situation
After the introduction, we immediately go to Hannah’s situation. Verse 2b informs us that, “Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.” Can you imagine how Hannah must have felt? Here, we find that Peninnah, her husband’s other wife had children, yet Hannah was barren. Can you blame her for being unhappy? If being barren wasn’t enough, the Scripture states that, “And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb. And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat” (verses 6,7).
Hannah went through a lot, didn’t she? Her husband’s other wife, Peninnah taunted and ridiculed her for not being able to bear children. The Bible says, “therefore she wept, and did not eat.” Culturally speaking, it was a terrible thing in those days, and in their custom for a woman to be barren. A barren woman was looked upon as a sign of disfavor from God. If any situation was impossible, certainly this could be categorized as an impossible situation. There did not seem to be any hope of Hannah becoming pregnant, and having a son. However, Hannah was a praying woman. She wept and prayed and did not eat.
Hannah Made A Vow
Hannah wanted a child, and she made not just any vow, but a Nazarite vow. That took a tremendous amount of faith, didn’t it? Let’s eavesdrop on this woman of faith’s conversation with God. Let’s go down to verse 11:
And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if
thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid,
and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give
unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto
the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come
upon his head.”
A Nazarite vow was a strict vow; a separation. In order to gain a better understanding of a Nazarite vow, let’s listen to a conversation between Samson and Delilah. Please turn to Judges 16:17 for just a moment.
That he told her all his heart, and said unto her,
There hath not come a razor upon mine head;
for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my
mother’s womb...”.
Listen: Hannah was not pregnant yet, however, she had made a Nazarite vow! Apparently, she had faith in God that indeed, she would conceive. She had faith that this impossible situation would not only become possible, but a reality.
Hannah Was in Emotional Pain as She Prayed
I can imagine that Hannah was in such emotional pain as she prayed, that her lips moved but no sound came out. While she prayed, however, Eli the High Priest was watching from the doorway of the Tabernacle. He thought she was drunk.
He said, “ ...How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee” (vs. 14).
Wouldn’t you think a High Priest would have such spiritual insight and discernment that he would know the difference between a godly woman praying, and someone who was drunk? Hannah was a godly woman, and she was sincerely praying to God.
Hannah not only answered him, but she explained to Eli: “...No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto” (vss. 15,16).
Eli realized that he had made a mistake. He said, “...Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him. And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad” (vss. 17-18).
Hannah Conceived
Because of a mother’s faith; her diligence and her prayers, God turned an impossible situation all the way around! What does the Bible say about praying? Let’s go to Matthew 7:7 for just a moment.
Matthew 7:7:
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find;
knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
I Chronicles 16:11 tells us to: “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.”
John 16:24: “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
I Thess. 5: 17: “Pray without ceasing.”
Returning back to our text, we find that: “And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord” (I Samuel 1:19-20).
My Story
As I was preparing this sermon, studying the Scriptures and reading about Hannah, it brought tears to my eyes. For, I too, have a praying mother. I can remember, when I was a little girl... on lazy summer mornings and blistery winter evenings, I could hear my mother bustling about in the kitchen, singing and praying. One of her favorite songs was, “I Know The Lord Will Make A Way.”
No matter what was going on in her life, she believed that God would make a way... and He has. She believes that God is a prayer answering God, and so do we. In fact, we know without a doubt that God is a prayer answering God!
Mom is in her eighties, has a heart condition, and has difficulty walking....but she is still a praying mother!
God not only heard, but He answered Hannah’s prayers. Indeed, Hannah was a praying mother!
