A Mother’s Desire

By Pastor Chong Pao Thao

Bible Passage: 1 Samuel 1:9–20 (NIV84)

9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple. 10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord. 11 And she made a vow, saying, “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon 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.” 12 As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, “How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine.” 15 “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.” 17 Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” 18 She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast. 19 Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

Summary

Out of Genesis, after God created Adam and Eve, He said it was very God and He blessed them to be fruitful and fill the earth and it was so. Through generations, people continue to fill the earth, and this means that woman had a low rate of having issues with bearing children, but in the Old Testaments, there were a few cases that the story were share and God work miracles and it was so, a prayer was answer.

In a perfect world, every woman should be able to conceive when they are married and be able to experience motherhood as the mighty Lord had proclaim. It wasn’t so in a place called Shiloh, after God had brough the Israelite out of Egypt into the promise land in the country of Ephraim where Joshua and the tribes of Israel had settled in, Hannah were unable to bear any children.

Hannah had a desired to bear a child, so people would stop making fun of her and she just wanted to be like every mother. So, one day, after dinner, she went into the temple to pray, but instead of praying out loud like everyone else, she prays quietly and was torn inside, crying to the Lord to grant her request.

Petition

In verse 10 it says, “In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord.” When we go to the Lord, we must lay down our burden to the Lord, tell the Lord what is heavy in our heart, and pour out our soul to Him, for He knows all things.

When our heart greatly desires for something, especially for a child, sometimes we failed to cry out to the Lord. Remember that prayer needs petition and repetition, meaning that you pray once and expect to get it, but continue to ask and pray so that the Lord will hear your prayer. We must search our heart, to see what will glorify the Lord and, in this case, Hannah made a vow to God, if she should conceive and bear a child, she will devote him or her to the Lord.

Our blessings come from God, but in return we must live according to His well, by offering ourselves to Him. Here, Hannah’s offer herself and her child to the Lord, just glorify the Lord so that He’ll answer her prayer.

Praise

After Eli found her to be genuine, he blessed her and sent her on her way by saying in verse 17 “Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”. Immediately, Hannah responded with “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then went on her way and then Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son.

When presenting your request to God, He needs to see your genuine request. We need to remember that when asking God for something, asked, as if you have already received it. In Mark 11:24, it says “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (NIV). We remember that when Hannah asks the Lord, she pour out her soul and cry out to Him. We too need to remember that when we ask for something, we need to cry out to Him as well.   

By knowing that the Lord will provide our every need, we need to be thankful even if the Lord takes a while to answer our prayer and even when it seems like our prayer is not being answer, we still need to praise Him and continue to pray for it and believe that He’ll answer it one day.

Every mother’s desire is to bear a child, especially in our Hmong community, we live in a family-oriented community and children are our future, without children, we feel empty. I pray that every woman should never have to live her life without a child, she should experience the joy of motherhood and the love that God had design for family.

Reflections

If your desire is to bear a child, pour out your heart to God and pray without ceasing as 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 says, “pray continually; ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”. Everything we do and have comes from the Lord, so praise God for it and trust in Him that He’ll deliver. May the Lord answer your prayer.