To pray like Hannah

My mom sent me a letter yesterday that contained a talk that she had given to some women about 9 years ago. The talk was about trusting God to plan your family and she listed multiple biblical examples of women in the Bible that had suffered from "closed wombs" until the Lord stepped in. My mom and dad themselves struggled with infertility for 5 years before they decided to adopt. After my sister and I were adopted, the Lord opened her womb and she became pregnant with my little sister. It is a story that you hear a lot when you are struggling with infertility.

Hannah has come up a lot lately, including the talk my mom gave. I have never really studied her story in the bible, or paid much attention to her at all for that matter...however, in reading her story, there is great comfort to be found.

It is hard to imagine that women have been struggling with this since the begining of time. When I think about the "olden days" or times past, I tend to think that all women did was have children, like 9 of them! You don't think about women struggling with infertility. Infertility tends to seem more like a modern day issue. However, it isn't...Hannah, Leah, and many others are proof of that.

A couple lesson's stick out to me in 1 Samuel chapter 1...

vs. 8 " Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?” 

I can't tell you how many times Regan has said something like, "I love our family, aren't we enough right now?" He definitely wants children, and we are on the same page with that, however he is such an example to me of trusting God's timing. When he asks or mentions things like the above, I find myself really asking if I do feel that way? Is this enough? We have been so blessed and yet I always want more. Is this family I have now enough?

vs. 10 " In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. ¹¹ And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 

This verse pretty much sums up a lot of how my prayers look...deep anguish and bitter weeping and pleading with the Lord. A lot of times I feel tempted to bargain with the Lord, "if you would only give me a child, I will ___________." In my desperation, I allow myself to think that the Lord will respond to my promising to act a certain way. I know that this isn't true. The Lord isn't dangling a child over my head like a carrot waiting for me to offer the right wager. But like Hannah above, I cry out in anguish for the Lord to open my womb.


vs. 19 " Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. ²⁰ So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,^[b] saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.” 

 And finally, the last point that really rings true to my heart is that the Lord remembered Hannah...He did not forget her desperate pleas and in His timing, He opened her womb.

My prayer is that the Lord will remember me and hear my cries, and that I will, like Hannah pray from my heart.

vs. 13 "Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard."

 Patiently Praying-


Much Love-
Al