In due time, Hannah conceived and bore a son and she called his name Samuel for, she said, “I’ve asked for him from the Lord.”
-1 Samuel 1:20
If you know the story of first Samuel and Hannah and Samuel here, you know that for many years, Hannah longed to have a child and she would go to God pleading before him at the temple for his provision of a child. Just broken in spirit, longing for a child. The whole picture here in 1 Samuel 1:20 is God answering her prayer and her naming him Samuel for, she said, “I’ve asked for him from the Lord.”
God, we pray for patience and for faith in the waiting.
1 Samuel 1:20 Teaches Us about Adoption
My wife, Heather and I have walked this road of longing for children. For us, it was about five years of a longing for children and God not providing in the way we were continually praying and hoping, and just the emotional roller coaster that was. Even spiritually just wondering, God, why are you not providing in the way we are asking? Then our story ended up leading us to adopt our first son and long story short, now we have four kids in our home, two of whom are adopted, two of whom came along in the more natural way and we’re in the process of adopting again.
In this picture, I’m just compelled to pray specifically for men and women who are longing for children and for whatever reason, God, in his wisdom and goodness is not answering that prayer in the way that they are longing right now. I just want to lead us to pray for them. Maybe that’s you, or maybe that’s someone around you, or even if you don’t know somebody specifically walking through this struggle, can we just unite our hearts together before God, for the Hannah’s around us?
1 Samuel 1:20 Calls Us to Pray for Faith in the Waiting
God, we pray right now for women and men who are longing to have children. Maybe single men and women who are longing to be married and to have children. Or maybe husbands and wives who are longing to have children. For whatever reason, oh God, you are not providing in the way they’re longing for at this moment. God, we pray for patience, we pray for faith in the waiting.
We pray for trust in you, in your goodness, in your wisdom, in your power, in your love for them. God, may they know your love for them. God, if we could just join with them right now and interceding for them, God, that you would grant them children, God, we trust your wisdom. We don’t know all that you know but God, we’re asking you right now as best as we know how. God, we pray that you would provide children for these who are longing for children.
Praying that God would Work
God, we pray that in due time. They would have children and be able to say, “I’ve asked for him. I’ve asked for her from the Lord.” That they would see your hand provide in this way. God, we ask for that. We plead for that. We pray that you would help them in every way. With all the emotions, and all the questions and all the struggle that goes with this journey.
God, should you choose in your wisdom not to answer this prayer in the way we’re asking now or a year from now or five years from now, or however long from now. We pray that you would grow deeper faith and deeper trust in you, and your goodness and your wisdom in the journey ahead. Even as we think about Isaiah, may even the barren woman rejoice over many children in your kingdom.
This Verse Leads Us to Pray for this Legacy
God, we pray that you would help us all to lead spiritual sons and daughters to you. That you would give us a legacy of men and women who are walking with you and who know you. Children of yours for all of eternity through each of our lives. God, we pray all of this. According to 1 Samuel 1:20, in Jesus’ name, amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
