Scripture: For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition which I asked of Him. 28Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord; as long as he lives he shall be lent to the Lord.” So they worshiped the Lord there. (1 Samuel 1:27-28 NKJV)
Observation: The situation at home between Hannah and Penninah, Elkanah’s wives, was very tense. In a society where childlessness was seen as curse from God, or at least as God withholding his blessings from the woman, Penninah, who had several children, picked on barren Hannah, who must have felt singled out by God and others for unfair treatment.
But Hannah prayed and God granted her a son; in fact, later we read that she had three more sons and two daughters (1 Sam. 2:12). Hannah evidently was a praying woman who continued to do so not just until Samuel was born, but for her other children, for as long as she lived.
Application: Christian couples should most definitely pray for God’s gifts of children as to whether they should even have any or not. Once the mother is pregnant, the couple should redouble their prayers for life, health, and protection on both the mother and child. These prayers should not only be personal and silent, but together as a couple and audible – what a wonderful way for the growing baby inside the mother to get used to his or her parent’s voice but to hear them praying for them!
And praying for our children does not stop at their birth but must continue throughout their and our lives.
A Prayer You May Say: Father, we pause right now to pray for our children. May they sense Your presence in their lives this day, and may they come to know You, love You, serve You, and share You all the days of their lives.
Used by permission of Adventist Family Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.
