Walking by Faith: Hannah – Trusting God with Deep Longings

She wanted a child more than anything. 

Year after year, Hannah made the journey to the house of the Lord. And every year, she returned home empty—no child in her arms, no visible sign that God had heard her prayers. 

But still she came. Still she prayed. 

Hannah’s story is one of persistent, quiet faith. She lived with longing and disappointment, and yet she didn’t turn away from God. She turned toward Him, even when her prayers felt unanswered and her heart was breaking. 

Walking by faith isn’t always about strength. Sometimes, it looks like tears. Sometimes, it sounds like a whispered prayer in the temple when no one else understands. 

A Woman of Sorrow and Hope 

Hannah’s story begins in 1 Samuel 1. She was one of two wives married to a man named Elkanah. His other wife, Peninnah, had children. Hannah did not. 

Peninnah didn’t just enjoy the blessing of children—she used it to torment Hannah. Year after year, the Bible says, Peninnah would provoke her grievously “to irritate her” (1 Sam. 1:6). It wasn’t just rivalry. It was cruelty. 

Elkanah loved Hannah deeply. He tried to comfort her. But he couldn’t remove the ache in her heart. Scripture says, “she was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly” (v. 10). 

This is not a woman who had given up on God. It’s a woman clinging to God when everything in her life told her to stop hoping. 

A Prayer and a Promise 

In her desperation, Hannah made a vow: 

“O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant… and will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life” (1 Sam. 1:11). 

This wasn’t bargaining. It was surrender. Hannah wanted a son—but not to hold onto him. She wanted a son to dedicate to God. 

Her prayer was so intense that Eli the priest thought she was drunk. She wasn’t. She was praying silently—her lips moving, but no sound coming out. When Eli confronted her, she replied gently: “I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord” (v. 15). 

Eli, realizing his mistake, blessed her. And for the first time in the story, we see a shift: “her face was no longer sad” (v. 18). 

Nothing had changed externally. But something had changed inside her. She had left her burden with the Lord. 

God Answers—and Hannah Keeps Her Word 

In due time, God gave Hannah what she had asked for: a son. She named him Samuel, which sounds like “heard by God.” Her longing had not gone unnoticed. Her tears had not been wasted. 

When Samuel was weaned, Hannah kept her promise. She brought the child to Eli and said: 

“For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition… Therefore I have lent him to the Lord” (1 Sam. 1:27–28). 

That moment is stunning. After years of waiting, she doesn’t cling to her answered prayer—she offers it back. Her faith was never just about getting what she wanted. It was about trusting the Giver more than the gift. 

A Song of Faith 

In 1 Samuel 2, Hannah prays again—but this time it’s not a prayer of longing. It’s a prayer of praise. She exalts in God’s strength and sovereignty, saying: 

“There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God” (1 Sam. 2:2). 

Her song speaks of God reversing fortunes—bringing down the proud and lifting up the humble. It’s a declaration that God sees, God acts, and God is faithful. 

This is what faith looks like in maturity: joy rooted not in outcomes, but in the character of God Himself. 

What Hannah’s Journey Means for Ours 

You may be living with a deep longing today. Maybe it’s for a child. Maybe it’s for healing, reconciliation, or relief from some burden you’ve carried for years. 

Hannah’s story won’t promise you an outcome—but it does promise you a God who hears. A God who sees. A God who is not deaf to your pain or dismissive of your desires. 

And like Hannah, you can choose to bring your tears to Him, again and again. 

Faith doesn’t mean hiding your pain. It means bringing your whole self—desires, grief, and all—to the One who welcomes your honesty. 

Final Encouragement 

Hannah didn’t know how her story would end when she prayed. She only knew who she was praying to. 

That’s the invitation for you today: don’t wait for resolution to trust. Trust now. Worship now. Pour out your soul, knowing that God treasures a heart that seeks Him—even through tears. 

Because walking by faith means believing that the God who hears you is also the God who loves you.