Hannah was a very troubled woman who was tormented by her mate in marriage because she had no child, and in the words of scripture, "the Lord had shut her womb." But on a certain year, she went again to the temple for the annual sacrifice, and she went into the temple and prayed. It will be illogical to think that this was her first time of praying regarding her situation, but on this occasion, she prayed differently. Of interest to us in this piece is not what she said or how she prayed, but what resulted immediately after she prayed.
In 1 Samuel 1:18b, we read, "So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad." Before she prayed, we are told, "So it was, year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord... therefore she wept and did not eat." But notice that on this occasion, once she was done praying, she stopped weeping, went her way, ate, and her face was no longer sad. What could have been responsible for this turnaround in her? She prayed through!
When she rose from the place of prayer, she knew, that she knew, that she knew, that she had received an answer to her prayer. In the physical realm, nothing had changed, she had not even slept with her husband, but she came to a knowing that she never knew before, which is, that she had received her request.
Jesus taught exactly the same thing, when in Mark 11:24 He said, "Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." Hannah, on the occasion in question, did exactly as Jesus said, when she prayed, she believed that she received her request, therefore, in her judgment, there was no reason to continue in sorrow and bitterness of heart. Like Hannah, when we ask, we must believe that we received whatsoever it is that we have asked for; when we arise from the place of prayer, our disposition should change to reflect that of a person who has received what he asked for. Each time we remember that need, our response should be that of gratitude to God because of what we know regarding the need: it has been granted.
This was Hannah's posture after she prayed, and it should be ours too.
Toni
