Prayers of Hannah

The book of Samuel 1:9-20

We find Hannah distraught with being unable to conceive children. She goes to the temple to pray, which is admirable, but she is bitter. She prays 'weeping copiously'; not too surprising for a woman to be crying. Right? Then she makes a deal with God.

I used to watch a television show called Deal or No Deal. People on this show would make unbelievable choices always  motivated by the lure of making a better deal. May be some food for thought there.

So back to Hannah. She not only begs to conceive a son; she goes on to make promises on behalf of this son. Now I am the mother of two sons and if I even begin to try to tell them how to live their lives they would resist. I am not sure about making these kinds of bargains with God, especially when they go beyond yourself. While I certainly pray for my children; I do not think our prayers should be bargains. When we come to the Lord in prayer it is 'Deal or No Deal', but God is in control.

The best attitude for me is to pray that I will have the grace to accept God's answer, especially when it is contrary to what I want. But as we read on in the book of Samuel God does bless Hannah with a son. He does answer her prayers.

Hannah's prayer was 'prompted by her deep sorrow and misery'. St. Catherine of Sienna, a Doctor of the Church says, "...never let your soul give in to sadness or discouragement, for the devil would like nothing better." She warns us that these feelings tempt us to give up on God; even to stop praying in some cases.

I admire Hannah because she does take her sadness to God in her prayer.

"May the spoken words of my mouth, thoughts of my heart, win favor in your sight, O Lord."

(Ps. 19:15)

Let our prayers rise up to God like fragrant incense, carrying our sadness and disappointments to him. If you focus on the smoke from incense, it first rises filling, clouding the air for a moment and then it slowly disappears. This rising incense becomes one with the surrounding air leaving behind only it's fragrance as evidence of its presence. (More about the importance of fragrance another time.)

Hannah called out to the Lord in prayer and she was blessed by his answer...Samuel.

"Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense,

which are the prayers of the holy ones." (Revelation 5:8)

Music and incense, ambience for prayer.

I chose this original picture because it captured the incense smoke rising.

I am eager to be overshadowed with the fragrance of God.