“And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.” 1 Samuel 1:10
It is often out of the depts of the heart that real prayer is born. And yet, it is God who, in His wisdom and love, brings the individual to pray with the whole heart, according to the will of God, even though it may be through the veil of tears. Why does God work in our circumstances to bring us to such prayer? And why is it such a simple prayer, but one that He hears and responds to? It is the purpose of God to bring us to the end of ourelves, our resources, our ways and means, in the face of incalculable difficulty, opposition, or just impossible circumstances, so that we come to see that He is our only hope, and certain assurance. It is in times like these, when the only place we have, or can look, is up to Him, and to Him alone. It is at the same time that we realize that we are appealing to an Almighty God, who alone can intervene, and will do so in His wisdom and grace, if we are willing to believe Him. Perhaps one of the most vivid pictures of such impossible circumstances, facing one’s helplessness, and yet appealing to the mercy of God, is that of Jonah.
Though we know that the one of the reasons for which Jonah was in the belly of the fish was his refusal to obey God, and preach the life-saving message of God to Israel’s enemies, yet there is a principle that we discover in God’s dealings with Jonah, that we find to be the same in His dealings with Hannah and her cry to God for a son. Jonah was brought to the end of himself in the belly of that fish, for in the darkness he came face to face with despair. His suffering was intensified by the length of time he was in the fish, believing that he had been cast out of the sight of the Lord. However, there came a redeeming moment, a remembrance of God to which he would appeal, knowing that even in the depths of the sea, God was there. He wrote: “I will look again toward Thy holy temple.” (Jonah 2:4) In that look, he would remember the Lord to whom he wold call, finally declaring, “Salvation is of the Lord.” (v.9) Hannah, though not in rebellion against God, was also brought to the depths of her helplessness. But she is brought also, just as Jonah was, to the only place of relief, response, and repose. She was brought in her desperation to God and Him alone. There like Jonah, though she was praying for a son, her cry was upward from the depths of her heart, finally declaring after the Lord had heard her cry, “For this child I prayed: and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of Him.” (1 Sam.1:27) The same God who spoke to the fish, which in turn, vomited Jonah out on dry ground, was the One who spoke to bring about the birth of a son, from a womb that had been shut up, unable to bear children. How do we apply the principle of our helplessness, and the remedy of God’s mercy and faithfulness, to our lives?
If we would dig just a little deeper into the life of Hannah, we would discover that she was a woman of faith. She knew what it was to worship God, to honor Him, and to enter into a covenant with Him. She knew the ways of God, and the means by which she would approach Him. Finally, she knew where to go, and it was to the place of the believing heart. For both Jonah and Hannah, the result of their prayers exceeded their expectations. The Ninevites would know a great awakening and revival, and be saved. Hannah’s son would become a great prophet in Israel, eventually anointing David.
Dear Father, Strengthen us to pray, believing Thee alone, to do the wonderful thing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.