9-11 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”

12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. 13-16 Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.”

17-18 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” And she said, “Let your servant find favour in your eyes.” Then the woman went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. 19-20 They rose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.” 1 Samuel:1:9-19 English Standard Version

Elkanah and his two wives had gone to Shiloh to present offerings to the Lord at the temple structure that had been set up to house the Ark of the Covenant. There, Hannah, who was childless, poured out to the Lord with tears her deep longing for a son. She also made a solemn commitment to the Lord if He would grant her request. What is the interesting point the writer draws our attention to in vs 12?

Her voice was not heard – certainly not by Eli the priest. In fact, he mistook her for someone who was drunk. (Something similar happened in the New Testament when people gathered in Jerusalem heard the apostles, who were from Galilee, speaking in foreign languages. Some made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” (Acts 2:13) But even though Eli had not heard the woman's prayer, what was the happy outcome? (vs 19-20)

Evidently the name 'Samuel' sounds like the Hebrew word for 'heard of God'. While her lips hadn’t uttered a sound, she had prayed from the heart, and God heard that prayer! How encouraging that should be for us as well. This part of the Bible is what theologians refer to as a ‘narrative’ section. In other words, it’s just describing an unfolding story. It's main purpose is to tell us what happened. But even such sections have truths we can take to heart and apply to our own lives. What would you conclude from today's verses?

For myself, I was reminded of the wonder of the fact that an almighty holy God hears the prayers of ordinary people like Hannah, and, therefore, of people like you and me as well. Her prayer wasn’t even for others, it was a very personal prayer concerning her own deep distress and troubled spirit. Yet God heard her prayer, remembered her, and, in due time, gave her what she had asked for.

It's good and right to pray for others, and for God's glory to be known and spread throughout the world. But it's also ok to pray for ourselves when we go through times that trouble our spirit and cause us deep distress. Even the apostle Paul asked believers to pray for him when he was in prison. And Hannah was encouraged by Eli's kind response. (vs 17-18) How much more encouraged we should be knowing that if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we can wait patiently and confidently, because “the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. We don’t know what God wants us to pray for - but the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that can't be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us in harmony with God’s own will.” (Romans 1:25-27 Paraphrase)