“Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard.”
1 Samuel 1:13
Hannah was a remarkable woman. She lived during difficult times of political unrest and religious backsliding. Her husband, Elkanah, was married to two women, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah was the mother of several children, but Hannah was barren. Hannah hoped dearly to enjoy motherhood, but she was not a mother because the Bible says, “The LORD had closed her womb” (1 Sam. 1:5). That did not stop Hannah from praying, nor did it make her give up on her life’s dream. Hannah repeatedly spent hours in the house of the Lord praying for the blessing of a child.
One day the high priest, Eli, saw her praying. Her lips were moving, but she was silent. The Bible mentions that, “as she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard” (verses 12,13). What a strange sight to see. Hannah’s heart was so filled with disappointment that words could not express her grief.
Eli misconstrued Hannah’s actions, thinking she had drunk too much wine. But Hannah persisted in her prayer. She even promised if blessed with a son, she would give the child back to the Lord to spend his days as God’s special servant.
We know the rest of the story. In God’s time he blessed Hannah with a baby boy she named Samuel. As promised, Hannah dedicated Samuel to serve the Lord. And when we read ahead in the story, Hannah’s blessings continued as her family grew to three sons and two daughters.
Hannah’s silent prayer still stands as a message for us that sometimes spoken prayer is not necessary. Hannah’s silent personal prayer was sufficient for God to recognize the pain in her heart.
We can learn a lot from prayerful Hannah. What an outstanding woman she was. Her persistent, heartfelt prayer shows us that God’s love is always present. He answers all our prayers whether spoken with our mouths or hearts in his way, at his time, and by his will. We should ask the Lord to give us faith like Hannah!
Remember that prayers can be “spoken” in many ways.
Prayer is the burden of a sigh,
The falling of a tear,
The upward glancing of an eye,
When none but God is near.
James Montgomery
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