1. Name & Context
Hannah, the beloved wife of Elkanah, lived in the hill country of Ephraim during Israel’s pre-monarchic period.
Though deeply loved, she was barren, while her husband’s other wife, Peninnah, mocked her repeatedly (1 Samuel 1:6–7).
Childlessness was a social reproach in that culture, and Hannah’s grief was profound.
Her pain, however, became the setting for one of Scripture’s most moving acts of faith — a prayer that turned despair into dedication.
📖 1 Samuel 1:10 (NKJV)
“And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the LORD and wept in anguish.”
2. How She Asked for Faith
Hannah’s prayer combined anguish, honesty, and surrender.
She did not simply request a child — she entrusted that very request back to God, vowing to dedicate her son to Him.
📖 1 Samuel 1:11 (NIV)
“And she made a vow, saying, ‘LORD Almighty, if You will only look on 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.’”
This prayer was not bargaining; it was faith expressed through self-offering — “If You bless me, I will bless You back through obedience.”
3. How God Responded
God answered through the priest Eli’s prophetic affirmation and through fulfilled promise.
📖 1 Samuel 1:17, 20 (NKJV)
“Then Eli answered and said, ‘Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him.’ …
So it came to pass in the process of time that Hannah conceived and bore a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, ‘Because I have asked for him from the LORD.’”
God honoured her faith and named the answer within it — Samuel means “heard of God.”
4. How She Received or Grew in Faith
Before seeing any sign, Hannah’s countenance changed (v. 18) — an inner peace replaced her sorrow:
📖 1 Samuel 1:18 (NKJV)
“So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.”
Faith entered before conception occurred.
Her growth came through trustful prayer, release of control, and acceptance of God’s timing.
Like Philippians 4:6–7 teaches, she experienced “the peace of God, which surpasses understanding.”
5. How Faith Was Tested or Refined
Hannah’s faith faced three major tests:
- Prolonged delay — years of unanswered prayer.
- Provocation — Peninnah’s taunting tested her humility (1 Samuel 1:6).
- Sacrificial obedience — after finally receiving Samuel, she gave him back to serve in the temple (1 Samuel 1:24–28).
Her greatest trial came after her prayer was answered — choosing to keep her vow.
Faith matured when gratitude turned into surrender.
📖 1 Samuel 2:1 (NIV)
“My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high.”
6. Results or Outcomes
- Samuel’s birth and dedication: Her son became one of Israel’s greatest prophets and judges.
- National impact: Through Samuel, God anointed both Saul and David — shaping Israel’s destiny.
- Personal blessing: God gave Hannah five more children (1 Samuel 2:21).
- Spiritual fruit: Her song of praise (1 Samuel 2:1–10) became a prophetic foreshadowing of Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55).
📖 1 Samuel 2:21 (NKJV)
“And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters.”
7. Key Verses Summary
- 1 Samuel 1:10–11 — Her vow and prayer.
- 1 Samuel 1:17–20 — God’s response and Samuel’s birth.
- 1 Samuel 1:24–28 — Fulfilment of her vow.
- 1 Samuel 2:1–10 — Hannah’s song of faith.
- 1 Samuel 2:21 — Further blessing.
8. Faith Insight / Lesson
Hannah’s story shows that faith often begins in tears but ends in testimony.
She teaches that prayer is not manipulation but surrender — true faith hands its deepest longing back to God.
Her transformation — from bitterness to peace before the miracle — reveals that the first answer to faith is not the gift, but the change in the heart.
When faith releases what it asks for, God multiplies it beyond expectation.
💬 “Faith is proven when we can give back to God the very blessing we prayed for.”