“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.
2 “There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3 “Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the LORD is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.
4 “The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.
6 “The LORD brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
8 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.
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.
“It is not by strength that one prevails;
10 those who oppose the LORD will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the LORD under Eli the priest.
Questions to consider:
- What do you think about Hannah's prayer?
- Why do you think she offered this prayer?
- What characteristics of God does Hannah declare in this prayer?
- Does Hannah believe that it is strength that allows one to be victorious?
Possibilities for prayer:
In reading through this prayer that Hannah offers (which is, in a lot of ways, a declaration of God's goodness), she sounds like a woman who has been given many, many children when she was once barren...as opposed to a woman who has just dropped off her one and only child at a temple to live without her for the rest of his days. This again reflects the courage that is so clearly a part of Hannah's life! Today, as you pray and think through the things in your life that seem particularly challenging, think about the strength and courage that Hannah exhibited, as she praised God for His goodness and strength, and ask that God would place some of that same strength and courage within you as you face your own obstacles or decisions.
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