A Heart-filled Prayer

We found out today that we are having a little girl.  What a blessing God has given to us to be blessed and pregnant after we lost our first to a miscarriage.  The last few weeks I have been anxious to find out the gender of our baby.  Throughout the past weeks God has reminded me of Hannah from the Bible and her joyous prayer.  I wanted to share that with you all this evening.  I hope that you will find some comfort in Hannah's prayer, a prayer she prayed after she had Samuel. 

 

For those who do not know the story of Hannah...here's a short version.  Hannah was married to Elkanah.  Elkanah had another wife with which he had children with.  However, Hannah "womb was closed".  This did not discourage Elkanah, in fact, he gave double portions to Hannah because he loved her more.  Hannah, grief stricken that she did not have a child, weeped in the Tabernacle.  The Priest, Eli, began to think that Hannah was drunk.  After some time, Hannah was finally able to have a son, Samuel.  Samuel was dedicated to God and grew up to be a Prophet.  Hannah's prayer is found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 after she gave Samuel to the Lord.

 

Then Hannah prayed:

"My heart rejoices in the LORD! The LORD has made me strong.

Now I have an answer for my enemies;

I rejoice because you rescued me.

No one is holy like the LORD!

There is no one besides you;

there is no Rock like our God.

 

Stop acting so proud and haughty!

Don't speak with such arrogance!

For the LORD is God who knows what you have done;

he will judge your actions.

The bow of the might is now broken,

and those who stumble are now strong.

Those who are well fed are now starving,

and those who were starving are now full.

The childless woman now has seven children,

and the woman with many children wastes away.

The LORD give both death and life;

he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.

The LORD makes some poor and others rich;

he brings some down and lifts others up.

He lifts the poor from the dust

and the needy from the garbage dump.

He sets them among princes,

placing them in seats of honor.

For all the earth is the LORD's,

and he has set the world in order.

 

He will protect his faithful ones,

but the wicked will disappear in darkness.

No one will succeed by strength alone.

Those who fight against in the LORD will be shattered.

He thunders against them from heaven;

the LORD judges throughout the earth.

He gives power to his king;

he increases the strength of his anointed one.

 

What a blessing Hannah received.  Over the last few months, I have mourned the loss of my first pregnancy.  I have felt much like Hannah and now I rejoice like she did.  For those who have mourned, are mourning, or feel discouraged....look at what God has done in the Bible.  He has casted out demons, He has saved us by His Son, and He has condemned the wicked.  If you remain faithful in God, He will bless you.  My husband's favorite verse is Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose."

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for your rich blessings that you bestow upon us daily.  For our blessings are from you and through you.  I pray the same prayer that Hannah prayed many many years ago.  Lord I seek your will for my life, my marriage, by career, and my child.  In Jesus' Name, AMEN.