A Great Mother

1 Samuel 1:9-12, NIV

9 Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the LORD's temple.
10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.
11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon 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, and no razor will ever be used on his head."
12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth.


Great mothers were behind the scenes of the great people who made a difference in world history. Samuel, the first prophet and the last priest in the Old Testament, who greatly influenced the Israelites, also had a great mother whose name was Hannah. What was Hannah’s faith like?

1. The faith that goes up to the house of the Lord (1Sa 1:7).

Hannah centered her faith on the house of the Lord and worship to God. Worship is the passage for God’s blessings. Worship is the duty of believers and the expression of our love for God. When we come to church to repent of our sins and glorify God through worship, praise, prayer, and thanksgiving, God opens the gates of heaven and pours His abundant blessings on us. The confession of our love for God through praise, prayer, and thanksgiving will prompt God to work through His word of promise and touch our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

2. The faith that makes every effort to pray (1Sa 1:10-12).

Hannah was a woman of prayer. She had been barren for a long time, but God gave her a son, Samuel, through her tearful prayers and vow to Him. Tearful prayers cause God’s miracles to happen. If we pray on bended knee, with mourning, humility, and a broken heart, God will quickly answer our prayers. God answers prayer when people make a great decision to devote oneself to the glory of God. Prayer with unfailing patience brings about God’s miracles.

3. Positive faith (1Sa 1:17-18).

Hannah took the words from the priest to heart and believed them. God’s blessings come upon those with pure hearts who accept the Word of God and believe it. Your doubts and calculations about the Word based on your own standard will make God’s grace elusive. Joshua and Caleb were able to enter the Land of Canaan because they had positive faith, trusting wholeheartedly on the Word of promise. God works with those who have positive faith.

4. Dedicated faith (1Sa 1:27-28).

Hannah dedicated her son to God, whose birth was His answer to her prayer. In gratitude for God’s love, she put her faith into practice and devoted herself to the Lord. Oftentimes, we do not keep the vow that we made to God when we were in trouble, after He answers those prayers. As soon as people receive blessings, they leave God for the world. We are accustomed to receiving things from God, but we become miserly when it comes to offering our things to God. We welcome the place of glory, but refuse that of sacrifice. We must give thanks to God for His love for us, and put our love for God into practice.

I hope that all of you will possess the faith of Hannah, who made every effort for worship and prayer. I hope that through positive and dedicated faith, you will return the love to God that you owe Him.