A Persistent Mother

1 Samuel 1:26-28
“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.”

For years, Hannah went to the house of the Lord with her husband and his other wife, and she grieved bitterly because she had no children. Her husband’s other wife provoked her until she sat sobbing and couldn’t eat. But Hannah didn’t give up. In her grief, she continued praying that God would give her a son.

The priest noticed her and, after a few words, told her God would give her what she asked of him. She believed the priest and stopped grieving. When she gave birth to her son, she named him Samuel, which means “Heard by God”, because she had a son as proof that God heard her prayers.

How many of us give up after three prayers? Or after praying for three days? Hannah prayed for years and didn’t give up.

Persistence is a terrific character trait to have, although sometimes we wish we didn’t have to prove that we have that trait in our arsenal.

When your prayers seem to be unanswered, just be patient and persistent. Don’t give up. Think about how many women, like Hannah have waited for the answer to their prayers. You might not have to wait for years like Hannah did, but in your time of waiting, continue improving your relationship with God. There is a certain intimacy that develops when we stick with God, not giving up, not becoming tired of praying. When you allow that intimacy into your prayers, you're not begging God to perform a miracle because it's what you want.

Make your persistence about God’s plan, not about yours. If in your time of waiting, you become impatient, don’t be tempted to give God an ultimatum. Don’t try to bribe him. It doesn’t work. Let your heart be softened toward God, and let him draw you closer, the longer you wait.

Then when you finally do get what you asked for, you know it’s God’s will, and you can enjoy it so much more.