By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
“Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.” (Psalm 4:1)
Do you have a long standing prayer still waiting to be answered? It can be hard to keep praying when it seems there is no change in sight. Weariness sets in, and we find ourselves beginning to wonder if God is actually listening to our pleas.
Hannah was one such woman. She desperately wanted a child but was barren. The words used to describe her feelings express that she was downhearted, deeply troubled, in great anguish, and grieved. Even though Hannah felt such desperation, she didn’t give up praying.
“In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.” (1 Samuel 1:10)
Even in the bitterness of our soul, God hears our prayers. Perhaps you can identify with Hannah’s long standing prayer. If you can, let her response encourage you and give you hope. Hannah didn’t give up praying and neither should we.
“Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah lay with Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her. So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, ‘Because I asked the LORD for him.’” (1 Samuel 1:19-20)
The Lord answered Hannah’s prayers, and she gave birth to a son—Samuel. Hannah was so grateful for this precious blessing from heaven that she dedicated her son to the Lord. She didn’t know if she would ever have another child, but she sacrificially released her son to God anyway. That took tremendous faith!
“‘I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.’ And he worshiped the LORD there.” (1 Samuel 1:27-28)
Perhaps there is no greater heartache to be felt than the heartache of a grieving mother. We too may come to a place where we must surrender our children over to the Lord. This doesn’t mean we quit being a parent, but perhaps God is asking us to let go of some things and trust His higher ways. In our hearts, we must place our son or daughter at the foot of the cross and pray … not my will, Father, but Your will be done.
“Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence.” (2 Chronicles 6:19)
A mother’s prayers are powerful! We want so much for our kids, and yet they have a life journey all their own. Their path will sometimes be filled with bumps and bruises along the way. Life is a great teacher, but some of its lessons can be brutally hard to accept—especially for the parent who must stand by and watch.
We will never stop being their parent, but as our children grow and mature, like Hannah, we need to surrender them into the more than capable hands of our heavenly Father.
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Release your children to God—but never stop praying!
