Read: 1 Samuel 1:9-20
She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD. (v. 10)
Often during times of suffering, I act on my eating disorder; I restrict food in a futile attempt to starve my feelings and handle a heavy burden. Afflicted with trouble, I keep my pain and distress to myself until I admit I cannot continue alone, and I cry out and seek God.
In 1 Samuel 1, we find Hannah, a barren woman, “deeply distressed” and weeping “bitterly” as she prayed (v. 10). Amid intense silent prayer, she calls herself a servant three times, knowing God listens to the lowly, and she calls on him to remember her in her lowliness. After speaking with Eli the priest, she settles into a place of faith and trust in God where she can put away her sadness and finally eat. Even though her circumstances have not yet changed, she has put her burden in God’s hands and has peace and hope. We all go through deep waters that push us to the limit and more; where we feel forgotten and overwhelmed. We must take our burdens to God and boldly pray until we connect with God and come to a place of peace and trust, knowing that God listens and answers.
You can have the same confidence in God’s love as Hannah did. When pain burdens you, you can pour your soul out before the Lord. You do not need flowery words or melodic prayers. All you need is a heart yearning for God’s peace and the willingness to be vulnerable before him.
As you pray, pour out your soul to God and listen.
Ariana D. Den Bleyker is a Pittsburgh native currently residing in New York’s Hudson Valley. She is the author of two devotional poetry collections,To Be Held by the Lightand Waking in the Light. She is an ordained deacon in the Reformed Church of America.
