Pray Always
In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.
1 Samuel 1:10
I cannot help but believe that weeping bitterly, in deep anguish, and pouring our hearts out to God, is one of the sincerest and most powerful forms of prayer. The psalmist says that God is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). I count on that assurance, not because I believe that God will always answer tears by removing anguish, but because I count on God’s presence to sustain me and those I love in and through anguish.
I think often about Hannah’s prayer. She was so deeply troubled that Eli, the priest who observed her praying, thought she was drunk. So great was her grief and her yearning as she prayed in her heart, that she was oblivious to her appearance. She was unaware that her mouth was moving even though she was speechless!
Hannah prayed to God with her whole self. And maybe that was the whole point. She surrendered herself to God, and more importantly, she surrendered her will to God’s. When I think about Hannah, I cannot help but remember that she prayed fervently for a child she would never raise. God answered her prayer by giving her a son, but she knew he did not belong to her. He belonged to God. She kept her promise to God by bringing him to the temple to serve as soon as he was old enough. God was faithful to her, and she was faithful to God, but how this must have grieved her heart!
What if the answer to Hannah’s prayer was not meant so much to relieve her anguish as to fulfill God’s will?
I have felt God’s presence in no mightier way than when I have wept bitter tears, a presence that calls me to let go, to surrender, and to trust. The anguish does not always or immediately subside, but I have felt peace that passes understanding. Hannah’s prayer reminds me that even in deep anguish, we are not alone, that God always works God’s purposes, and that love never fails.
Precious Lord, thank you for always hearing our prayers, but especially when we cry out in deep anguish. I especially lift up those who are weeping bitterly and pouring their hearts out to you on this day, that they may know your love, your comfort, and your peace. Amen.
This devotional was written and read by Greta Smith.
Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.
If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.
First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.
[music] Welcome to Grace for All, a daily devotional podcast produced by the people of First United Methodist Church in Marival, Tennessee. On behalf of our congregation, thank you for joining us today. In her deep anguish, Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. First Samuel, chapter 1, verse 10. I cannot help but believe that weeping bitterly, in deep anguish, and pouring our hearts out to God, is one of the sincerest and most powerful forms of prayer. The Psalmist says that God is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who were crushed in spirit. That's Psalm 34, verse 18. I count on that assurance, not because I believe that God will always answer tears by removing anguish, but because I count on God's presence to sustain me and those I love in and through anguish. I think often about Hannah's prayer, she was so deeply troubled that Eli, the priest who observed her praying, thought she was drunk. No great was her grief and her yearning as she prayed in her heart that she was oblivious to her appearance. She was unaware that her mouth was moving even though she was speechless. Hannah prayed to God with her whole self, and maybe that was the whole point. She surrendered herself to God, and more importantly, she surrendered her will to God's. When I think about Hannah, I cannot help but remember that she prayed fervently for a child she would never raise. God answered her prayer by giving her a son, but she knew that he did not belong to her. He belonged to God. She kept her promise to God by bringing him to the temple to serve as soon as he was old enough. God was faithful to her and she was faithful to God but how this must have grieved her heart. What if the answer to Hannah's prayer was not meant so much to relieve her anguish as to fulfill God's will? I have felt God's presence in no mightier way than when I have wept bitter tears, a presence that calls me to let go, to surrender and to trust. The anguish does not always or immediately subside, but I have felt peace that passes understanding. Hannah's prayer reminds me that even in deep anguish we are not alone, that God always works God's purposes, and that love never fails. Precious Lord, thank you for always hearing our prayers, but especially when we cry out in deep anguish. I especially lift up those who are weeping bitterly and pouring their hearts out to you on this day, that they may know your love, your comfort, and your peace. Amen. (Music) This devotional was written and read by Grana Smith. In 1740, John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, preached a sermon in Bristol, England, in which he proclaimed, "The grace or love of God, whence cometh our salvation, is free in all and free for all." 283 years later, we are humbled to proclaim that message through this Grace for All podcast. Thank you for listening to today's message of Grace. I'm Jonathan Jonas, Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee, where the Grace for All podcast is written, edited, and produced by our lay members. To know more about our congregation and its ministries, please visit our website at firstchurch.org. That's the number one, STCHURCH.org. (Music) [MUSIC PLAYING]
