Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy (Samuel) ministered before the Lord under Eli the priest. (1 Samuel 2: 11) Hannah had fulfilled her promise to the Lord and her son’s ministry was about to begin. Samuel “ministered before the Lord under Eli the priest.” In other words, Samuel was Eli’s helper or assistant. Some of his responsibilities would have included opening the tabernacle entrances each morning, cleaning the furniture and sweeping the floors. As he grew older, he would assist Eli in offering sacrifices. Wearing a special linen ephod showed that he was a priest-in-training. Because Samuel was Eli’s helper, he was God’s helper too. When we…

Hannah concludes her prayer by acknowledging that God is the Supreme Judge who administers perfect justice. Her prayer testifies that she believed her redeemer would come and reign in power and righteousness. “He protects his holy people.    He keeps them from stumbling.But evil people will be destroyed.    They will fall in the darkness.    Their power won’t help them win. The Lord destroys his enemies.    God Most High will thunder in heaven against people.The Lord will judge even the lands that are far away.    He will give power to his king.    He will make his Anointed One strong.” Knowing that God is the Supreme Judge helps us put both the world and personal events in perspective. Hannah recognized that God was protecting her…

Sovereign is defined as a person who has supreme power or authority. In Hannah’s prayer she acknowledged that God was the One and Only authority in her life. “The Lord brings death and makes alive;    he brings down to the grave and raises up. The Lord sends poverty and wealth;    he humbles and he exalts. He raises the poor from the dust    and lifts the needy from the ash heap;he seats them with princes    and has them inherit a throne of honor.” “For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;    on them he has set the world.” There is a beautiful peace that can only be experienced when you truly believe that God is sovereign over everything. That He has full authority and and control.…

Hannah’s prayer continues with her acknowledging that God is all knowing. “Speak no more in your pride. Do not let proud talk come out of your mouth. For the Lord is a God who knows. Actions are weighed by Him.” (1 Samuel 2: 3) No doubt as Hannah said these words, she was thinking of Peninnah’s arrogance and chiding. Hannah did not have to get even with Peninnah. She knew that God is all-knowing and that He will judge all sin and pride and she wisely left judgement up to God. Hannah’s example reminds us that we need to resist the temptation to take justice into our own hands. God…

Then Hannah prayed. After worshiping the Lord and giving her son to serve Him all the days of his life, her next action was to pray. “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.” Hannah was again pouring her heart out to God, but this time she used her voice. She let everyone hear the passion she had for God and the confidence she felt in knowing that God had ultimate control over the events in her life. She had come to…

When the time came for Hannah to take Samuel to the house of the Lord to live she brought him to Eli and said, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord.  I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.  So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.” And they worshiped the Lord there.” Hannah was sharing her testimony with Eli as she presented him with her gift from God, her son Samuel. In these few verses she shared what made her a Godly Woman of Influence,…

One of the many lessons that we can learn from Hannah is letting go. She understood that all we have and receive on this earth is on loan from God. She could have made excuses for keeping her young son and few would blame her if she became a possessive mother. But when God answered her prayer, she followed through on her promise and dedicated Samuel to God’s service. Hannah discovered that the greatest joy in having a child is giving that child fully and freely back to God. She entered motherhood prepared to do what all mothers must eventually do – let go of their children. The bible tells…

The Lord answered Hannah’s prayer and she gave birth to a son and named him Samuel. Imagine the joy she felt as she held the answer to her prayers in her arms. Kissing his sweet little cheeks, smelling the new baby scent as she rocked him to sleep. Counting all his fingers and toes as she gently rubbed each one. How many times she must have caught herself staring at the miracle before her. Then there were the moments of remembering her promise to God. She had promised that if He would give her a son, she would give him back to the Lord for all the days of his…

At the beginning of Hannah’s story she had been discouraged to the point of being physically sick and unable to eat and then in the middle of it she returned home well and happy. What changed? First she poured her heart out to God holding nothing back. Completely honest about her feelings and the desires of her heart. Next she received encouragement from Eli. Once he saw the truth of her earnest praying, he blessed her. Finally she resolved to leave the problem with God. Her example gives us the remedy for discouragement. As Godly Women of Influence we have the opportunity to participate in this remedy from both ends.…