Hannah prayed in her heart and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard ~ 1 Samuel 12. The Lord remembered Hannah's prayer and she conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel "saying, because I asked the Lord for him" ~ 1 Samuel 19:20.
After Samuel was weaned, Hannah took the boy with her, young as he was;...she brought him to Eli and she said to him, as surely as you live, my lord I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. 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" Samuel 24-28.
Hannah mingled tears with her prayers; she considered the mercy of our God, who knows the troubled soul. God gives us leave, in prayer, not only to ask good things in general, but to mention that special good thing we most need and desire. She spoke softly, none could hear her.
Hereby she testified her belief of God's knowledge of the heart and its desires. Eli was high priest, and judge in Israel. It is not becoming of us to be rash and hasty in censures of others, and to think people guilty of bad things while the matter is doubtful and unproved.
Hannah did not retort the charge, and upbraid Eli with the wicked conduct of his own sons. When we are at any time unjustly censured, we have need to set a double watch before the door of our lips, that we do not return censure for censure. Hannah thought it enough to clear herself, and so must we. Eli was willing to acknowledge his mistake. Hannah went away with satisfaction of mind.
She had herself by prayer committed her case to God, and Eli had prayed for her. Prayer is heart's ease to a gracious soul. Prayer will smooth the countenance; it should do so. None will long remain miserable, who use aright the privilege of going to the mercy-seat of a reconciled God in Christ Jesus.
