Eli the priest

I sometimes receive the question, “How do I pray? I don’t know how to pray.” Most of the time, such question is concerning what words to use in a prayer. However, fundamentally, the condition of the heart is much more important than what verbiage to use. Since our God sees each of our hearts, even the unspoken prayers He hears. Now, after the offering of sacrifice and the conclusion of the meal (although Hannah herself did not partake in it), Hannah stood up, approached the Lord’s house, and there, she prayed and wept bitterly before the Lord. Eli, the priest, was sitting by the doorpost of the Lord’s house, observing her. At that time, it seems that the tabernacle has been transformed from a portable tent into something more permanent.

Hannah’s prayer

Hannah, in her prayer, made a vow to the Lord. It was a commitment that if she were given a son, she would dedicate him to a lifelong service in the tabernacle. In other words, she promised to make her son a Nazirite for life (ref. Num. 6:5). (1) This is how Samuel came into the world, born as a Nazirite from birth. (2) A similar case is that of Samson, one of the judges, who was also a Nazirite from birth. (3) The difference between the two lies in the fact that Samuel became a Nazirite due to his mother’s vow, while Samson became one by God’s command. Moreover, the former remained faithful to the Nazirite vow, while the latter did not. (4) In the Old Testament, these two are the only Nazirites from birth. The next “Nazirite from birth” is John the Baptist. Psalm 50:15 says, “Call upon Me on the day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.” Hannah’s prayer attests to the effectiveness of this invitation. We, too, are given the privilege to pray to the God who heard Hannah’s prayer. Let’s continue to pray to our God, who provides us with the best answers.