Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 2:1-11

“No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:2)

These are the words of a woman who was once barren but now with child. Hannah was her name and she vowed to dedicate her firstborn to the LORD if He would grant her request to have children. The LORD said yes, she conceived, and would give birth to a son who became the prophet Samuel. Furthermore, to Hannah’s delight, she conceived not just once, but God opened her womb to have many more children as well (see 1 Samuel 2:21).

When Hannah realized she was pregnant, after having been barren for years, she pens a prayerful song unto the LORD. And within this prayer is our selected verse: "No one is holy like the LORD, for there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God."

These words sound more like a Psalm written by David for a worship service than they do from a woman who is rejoicing to have a child. What does the holiness of God have to do with bearing children? Initially, it would seem like her prayer is disconnected from her pregnancy altogether, until you realize that it was this very thing — her prayer — that opened her eyes to see the majesty and holiness of God. She recognized not only the yes to her prayer, but the holy God who issued that yes.

Beloved, this is what prayer does. It opens our eyes to the holiness and majesty of God behind every request. Prayer is too often practiced in a linear fashion, as if it were a ticket system. We pray, and then wait for God to give His answer, we say thanks and then move on. But this completely overlooks the purpose of prayer, and hence its beauty. Prayer is an intimate exchange with our Creator and Redeemer, giving us insight to His character, love and holiness, just as it did for Hannah. It aligns our hearts with His divine will and casts light on the hidden things of God.

“The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.” (Psalm 145:18–19)

Whereas, prayer is frequently spoken of as a spiritual discipline, the Scriptures describe prayer as our reward (see Matthew 6:6) and the guardian of our hearts (see Philippians 4:6-7). It doesn’t matter how habitual a man prays — if his prayers do not reward him with a greater view of God and a deeper relationship with Christ, then, I say, he is not praying at all!

Therefore, dear friend, it is better to pray in true prayer a little, than it is to pray in false prayer a lot. Let your heart draw near to your God. Pray to trust Him! Pray to love Him! Pray to see His glory! Pray not for a yes or a no, but pray to understand His will behind a yes or a no.

Then, and only then, can our response be like Hannah’s, where we witness a spectacle of God’s glory in the answer He gives.

“I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” (Psalm 34:4–8)

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