A new month and a new book of the Bible. Today we start 1 Samuel, which carries the story of Israel from the period of the judges to the beginning of the monarchy. In particular, it serves to introduce God’s chosen king, David, and retells the dramatic story of his difficult path to the throne.

 

But all that’s to come. In this first episode, we’re given the background to the birth of Samuel, the prophet who serves as the final judge of Israel - the one who will anoint the first kings of Israel. And what we are reminded of in this story, is that Samuel’s birth comes about through the sovereign plans of God, and also the desperate prayers of a heartbroken woman. Infertility is heartbreaking in any time and place. And yet, in the culture of ancient Israel, as a second wife, being taunted by the other wife - well, you can only imagine how bad it would be. And this story focuses on the prayer of Hannah, this heartbroken woman, as she begs God for a child, promising to dedicate the child to God’s service if only God will hear her. 

 

The point of the story is not that God will answer our prayer if we are desperate enough. The point is simply that real prayer isn’t complicated. Our job is to bring our requests to God, his job is to answer and rule in his wisdom. As the Explore notes point out - there’s no trick to prayer. It’s simply having a deep sense of our need and a deep sense of God’s ability and willingness to answer. Real prayer is ‘pouring our heart out before the LORD’ (v15). Prayer is resisting the temptation to hide behind self sufficiency. It’s avoiding being too proud to vocalise what we really want from God, or allowing bitterness to turn us inward. Hannah even acknowledges that she’s praying from the depth of her resentment! But she still turns to God as the only true source of hope in the midst of her anguish and need. There’s nothing wrong with being deeply hurt, frustrated and troubled by the circumstances God has put you in. The important thing is to bring that pain to God in faith, trusting him to do what is right. I’m praying that I can instinctively bring my deep needs before God, whether I’m in anguish over them or not.