A Prayer Through Tears

1 Samuel 1:9,10 After eating and drinking, Hannah quietly got up and went to pray to the Lord. Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the door of the LORD’s Holy Building. Hannah was so sad that she cried the whole time she was praying to the LORD.

When you’re completely at the end of your tether, where do you go? Where do you turn? You’ve prayed and prayed and prayed and … nothing. Dead silence. Where is God? Why isn’t He answering?

So, back to the story of childless Hannah that we’ve been looking at over this past week. She’s married to Elkanah, whose other wife, Peninnah, has given him children and uses that to rub salt in the wound of Hannah’s inability to do the same.

Elkanah tries to love Hannah as best he can but try as he may, he just can’t fill her emotional and biological void of childlessness. It hurts so bad! And yet in the middle of all that, Hannah makes the best decision of her life. Here it is:

1 Samuel 1:9,10 After eating and drinking, Hannah quietly got up and went to pray to the Lord. Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the door of the LORD’s Holy Building. Hannah was so sad that she cried the whole time she was praying to the LORD.

Hannah poured her heart out to God. Hers was a prayer through tears, out of a hurt so deep, so bad, that it was no doubt difficult even to put into words. Now, as you read on you discover that Hannah ultimately received what she asked for.

Hmm. I remember a time in my life when there was something that I wanted more than anything else, something truly important. I too prayed like Hannah, but in my case God didn’t give me what I asked for.

Sometimes He does, sometimes He doesn’t. But the best decision we can ever make is to pour our heart out to God, even if – especially if – it’s a prayer through tears.

That’s His Word. Fresh … for you … today.

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A Prayer Through Tears

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