Is your desire part of God’s plan for your life?

Hannah, the mother of Samuel, the Prophet of God, never gave up on a desire for a child. Yet, Hannah was barren, but Elkanah, her husband, had another wife, Peninnah, who wasn’t and she often taunted Hannah (1 Samuel 1:6-7). Her husband was somewhat clueless about her feelings and egotistical (1 Samuel 1:8). She also had a spiritual leader Eli, he was far from ideal, judging her falsely (1 Samuel 9-14). Considering her situation, Hannah may have had every reason to believe that God had forsaken her.

What was Hannah’s response to the circumstances? First, she wept. That’s right, she cried. As Christians, we often try to live in a spiritualized fantasy land and believe we should not experience grief or sorrow. Hannah, did something critical with her weeping; she prayed. With her sadness, she never forgot that God was still good. In many cases, when we weep, we stop praying. If we stop praying, our weeping will never cease.

Hannah continued to pray, but it was also how she prayed. She told the Lord that if he gave her a son, it would be the Lord’s, not hers. 1 Samuel 2:21 tells us that “she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters.” Whatever you hold onto, you lose; what you give to the Lord, you keep. You can never outgive God.

Hannah’s desire was part of God’s plan for Samuel to become the great Prophet of all Israel. Samuel means “God has heard,” which he most certainly did in Hannah’s prayers. God has always sought the unlikely, the unqualified, and the unsuspecting. Don’t be surprised if your desire is God’s dream for you.