And she made a vow, saying, “Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”
1 Samuel 1:11
There is much that we can learn from Hannah's prayer in her time of misery. And both her prayer and God's answer to it have been the subject of many sermons. But what is often overlooked is the language of the prayer itself... the specific requests that Hannah makes of the Lord.
Hannah asks God to “look on her misery,” to “remember her” and to “not forget her.” These are all helpful phrases for us to remember and use in our personal prayers, because they capture something that’s common to all human experience.
It is a basic human need to know that someone cares about your pain, that someone is thinking about you, that you are not completely forgotten or overlooked. And it is good and right for you to take that need to God in prayer.
So, the next time you feel like no one sees you or no one cares, don’t sulk. Ask God to “remember you.” The next time you feel like no one understands your pain, don’t get mad at everyone else for not being able to understand your experience. Instead, turn to the one person who can. Pray and ask God to “look on your misery.” And the next time you aren’t invited to something and you feel overlooked and left out, pray and ask the Lord “not to forget you.” And comfort yourself with the knowledge that He never has.
And lastly, but perhaps most important of all. Don't forget to ask God specifically and directly for what you want. Hannah comes right out and asks God for a son. Don't let your prayers be general, fuzzy or unclear. Be specific. Don't be afraid to ask God for exactly what you want and need in prayer.
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