Shawna Welsley // Empowerment // EEW Magazine Online

When you think of women who inspire you, who comes to mind? A singer? Author? Business mogul? Athlete? Social media influencer? Designer? Doctor? Lawyer? Judge? Family member?

I can think of lots of people!

But we often look at present-day influential figures, relatives and mentors to motivate and shape us while overlooking some of our greatest teachers in the Bible. If you desire true knowledge, wisdom, and insight, you can find it in Scripture.

Today EEW Magazine Online is highlighting Hannah whose life is featured in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 1-2).

Though she wasn’t perfect and at times let the cares of life get her down (She was just like us!), there are 5 awesome lessons we can extract from her life.

Here they are.

#1 You are favored in hard times. Poor Hannah. She was barren and taunted by her super fertile rival, Peninnah, with whom she shared a husband, Elkanah. It was devastating enough that Hannah could not give the man any children, but to add insult to injury, Hannah was relentlessly shamed and bullied by a villainous supermom. Annoying!

Ironically, Hannah, the barren one, was more favored by Elkanah than his babies’ mama, Peninnah. That had to make Peninnah jealous and is probably what put a target on Hannah’s back (vv. 3-5).

No doubt favor did not lessen the pain of Hannah’s situation, but God gave her continuous reminders through Elkanah that she was loved and favored in hard times. And so are you; this is one of those reminders.

#2 Pray when you’re depressed. Mental health challenges are real and often brought on by life’s many stressors and struggles. Hannah was so down and discouraged about her barrenness, not to mention the contentious situation in her household situation, that she cried constantly and refused to eat.

Regardless, at her lowest point, Hannah dragged herself to the temple and prayed. She prayed so hard, in fact, she looked ridiculous. Eli the priest thought the woman was drunk (vv. 12-14)! But no, she was just crying out from an anguished soul. When your mental health is suffering, it can be hard to find motivation to do anything. But never let prayer, the one thing that always works, fall by the wayside.

#3 Believe after you pray. When Hannah poured out her heart to God in the temple, nothing immediately changed in her situation. She still had no children. Peninnah was still a hater. And Hannah still had no real evidence that she would ever conceive. Despite that, prayer shifted her perspective and changed her demeanor. What shifts perspectives in this way? You guessed it: faith. Hannah believed God would answer her prayers.

Upon leaving the temple, Hannah returned home with a whole new disposition. She paid hating Peninnah no mind and was no longer downcast and devastated. She began eating and thriving again (v. 18). Hannah masterfully teaches you to ask in faith with the expectation that change is coming soon. Before the year was over, hers showed up.

#4 Understand the purpose of the blessing. Sure, Hannah wanted to give her husband a baby and rid herself of the shame and stigma of barrenness. But you know what else she wanted? The will of God. Before conceiving, Hannah made a vow that if God gave her a son, she would dedicate him to the work of the Lord (v. 11). And bingo! That was the key to unlocking her womb.

Once Hannah stopped obsessing over her own selfish desires and grasped an understanding of the purpose of the blessing, God gave her supernatural IVF. Hannah shows us that the motive behind the request matters to God. And sometimes, He won’t release the breakthrough until our motivations, focus, and purpose align with His.

#5 After the breakthrough, give God the glory! Once Hannah gave birth to Samuel, who went on to become one of the greatest prophets in history, she didn’t neglect to offer thanksgiving to the Lord. She didn’t just bask in the breakthrough and forget about the Lord who orchestrated the breakthrough.

According to 1 Samuel 2:1, the first words Hannah uttered in her beautiful prayer of praise and thanksgiving are: “My heart rejoices in the Lord.” That’s it. She shows all of us that God blesses those He can trust to give Him the glory once the request is answered. Will you do the same?

Aren’t these wonderful lessons from our dear sister Hannah? She may be long gone, but her legacy of relentless faith, persistent prayer, sincere praise, and unconditional obedience, will live on forever.

Be sure to add her to your list of most inspiring women and imitate the things that Hannah got right even when things were going wrong.