Prayed and Wept
1 Samuel 1:10 (ESV) – She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.
This life is filled with sorrows. Until Jesus comes back, people will suffer the effects of the fall. Sin has wrought devastating consequences in this world that people have experienced for thousands of years. Scriptures testify to this reality. Not only does it tell us the origins of these problems, but it also shows us people wrestling with the fallout of sin just like we do.
We see this in our passage today. 1 Samuel begins with the story of Hannah. She is the mother of Samuel. Samuel is going to play a major role in the life of Saul and King David. However, before Samuel was born, Hannah struggled to have any children. She was barren. This saddened her to the point of despair. We read in 1 Samuel 1:10, “She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.”
It is important that we feel the weight of this passage. Hannah was deeply distressed. Her heart grieved. She lived with a burden that consumed her thoughts. How did she vent this pain? She prayed. The passage today highlights that she prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.
Notice that these two things are not antitheses to each other. To pray and trust the LORD doesn’t mean we don’t feel distress or weep bitterly. But to be in distress and weep doesn’t mean we’re prayerless. These things go together. In Hannah’s distress, she calls upon the LORD. We know from how the story ends that He answers her prayer. He heard her cries and provided for her needs.
We can call out to the LORD in our distress today. Life brings moments of weeping bitterly. I’ve had my share of them. They fuel my prayers. In the bitterness of sorrow and distress, the LORD stands by ready to hear our requests. In fact, sometimes our cries are the only prayers we can utter. He is with us in our pains.
We are never alone. Until Jesus returns, life will contain moments of distress and bitter weeping. But we have access to God in prayer through the finished work of Jesus.
Cry out to Him.
Reflection & Journal:
- Why is Hannah distressed and weeping?
- What is the significance of this in Hannah’s life? Why is this a cause of such pain?
- How have you experienced distress and bitter weeping in your own life? Did it lead you to pray? How did you see God answer?
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