What Is the Significance of ‘For This Child I Have Prayed’?

　　In 1 Samuel 1:27, Hannah says, "I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him." Hannah was married to Elkanah, who was also married to Peninnah. She wasn't able to bear children, and this made her feel as though she was failing her husband.

　　More grace has been given to those nowadays who can't bear children; however, in the Old Testament, women were looked down on if they couldn't have children. Since Hannah didn't bear children, she kept praying to God that He would open her wound, and He did.

　　

For This Child I Have Prayed

After praying and bringing her needs before God, He answered her prayers. Shortly after, Hannah was pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, and he was dedicated to the Lord.

　　Being dedicated to the Lord meant Samuel was going to live at the temple and be trained under the priest, Eli. Despite Eli and his sons failing to obey the Lord, Samuel obeyed the Lord, and He took notice.

　　God spoke to Samuel in a dream, and when Samuel thinks it is Eli, Eli confirms to him that the Lord is truly speaking to Him (1 Samuel 3:1-21). Samuel was close to God from the time he was a child, and God blessed His life. Hannah did a noble act by dedicating her only son to the temple.

　　She could have selfishly kept the baby and gone back on her promise to God, but instead, she was faithful to God and followed through with her word. Hannah was looked down upon by many, yet she was blessed through God and dearly loved by Him.

　　The significance of Hannah saying, “For this child I have prayed,” is that she attests to the power of God, and it also shows us that God answers our prayers. God’s power is shown through the words because only God could have answered her prayers.

　　As mentioned, Hannah was barren, yet God answered her prayer and gifted her with Samuel. Not many people in the modern day see children as gifts. Instead of seeing them as gifts, people see them as burdens.

　　We see this in children being aborted as well as not being cared for when they grow up. Through Hannah’s words, we are seen God’s power in bringing a son into her life and how God values children.

　　Children are great gifts of God, and Hannah recognizes this. Throughout her life, she yearned for a child, and God answered her prayer in His timing. This also connects to the truth that God hears all of our prayers.

　　Even though God hears our prayers, it doesn’t mean He will answer with a yes. He may answer with a yes, but He may answer with a no or a not right now. God knows best, and we can always trust Him in every situation.

　　We need to follow Hannah’s example, patiently wait for the Lord, and grow closer to Him in the process. It can be difficult at times, yet we can always rely on the Lord.

　　

Learning from Hannah

Hannah displayed great trust in the Lord when she said this prayer. She could have been weighed down with negative thoughts and the “what ifs.” In fact, she could have doubted God answering her prayer with a yes.

　　However, she didn’t doubt it, and she didn’t play the game of what if. She chose to believe in God and His goodness. She never doubted God, nor did she doubt His power. We can learn from Hannah’s deep trust in the Lord and her faithful dedication to the Lord.

　　Through her dedication, she chose to dedicate her baby to the temple, and he grew up to be a prophet of the Lord. Samuel was a prophet who followed the Lord, faithfully served Him as his mother did, and treated the people of Israel fairly.

　　He was the last Judge of Israel, and he governed Israel correctly (1 Samuel 7:6; 15-17). Samuel never exploited, harmed, or hurt the people. Saul was a king during the time of Samuel, yet Saul wasn’t the best at listening to what Samuel told him.

　　Later, Samuel is commanded by God to choose a new king, and this new king is revealed to him by God. This new king was the youngest of Jesse’s family, who was out tending the sheep. This humble shepherd boy is the one who anointed Samuel anointed to become king (1 Samuel 16:1-13).

　　As we can see, Samuel became a faithful leader to Israel as well as he was instrumental in God’s plan of choosing David. All of this couldn’t have been possible without the original faithfulness of Hannah all those years ago.

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　　Even though we are never told much more about Hannah as Samuel gets older, we can rest assured that she continued to follow the Lord and continued to give Him thanks for her son. Through her strong faith, God worked wonders and gifted her in many ways.

　　Also, through the line of the man her son anointed as king, the future King was coming, and His Name was Jesus. This is the greatest gift of them all because Hannah had a part in bringing the Messiah into His rightful place. Similarly, God can use our faithfulness to do amazing things.

　　

Misinterpretations

There is a huge misinterpretation when it comes to 1 Samuel 1:27. Many women believe that if they pray “hard enough,” God will bless them with a child. While God can answer this prayer with a yes, He might answer with a no or not right now.

　　Unfortunately, some women have problems being able to bear children, and they might not ever be able to have children. If you are not able to have children, there is nothing wrong with you.

　　It could be a health issue or a fertility issue preventing you from having a baby — not God. Don’t doubt God’s goodness if you don’t have a baby right away, and don’t blame Him for infertility. The Lord loves you, and you will have a child if it is in His will.

　　It is best to abstain from misinterpreting Bible passages because it can cause us to understand the Bible passage out of context.

　　While 1 Samuel 1:27 is cute to have in baby nursery rooms, it is best not to take them out of context. The Bible verse of 1 Samuel 1:27 is directly related to Hannah, and we need to remember that before we use it out of context.

　　Yes, God can give you a child, yet He may choose not to at the moment. It could be that fertility issues are preventing you from having a baby, and you could get that checked up at your doctor. Always pray to God, but don’t allow yourself to misinterpret Bible passages.

　　

What Does This Mean?

The significance of Hannah’s word, “For this child I prayed,” refers to God’s power, faithfulness, and love. Hannah struggled with depression, and once she was able to be pregnant with Samuel, joy filled her heart.

　　She showed her great trust in God by dedicating her newborn to the temple, and through living in the temple, Samuel grew up to be a great prophet and Judge of Israel.

　　While 1 Samuel 1:27 is a beautiful passage, we need to remember that it refers to a specific time in history, and we shouldn’t expect God to answer our prayer in the same exact way as Hannah’s prayer was.

　　It is possible for God to answer your prayer with a yes when you are praying for a child; however, 1 Samuel 1:27 speaks directly about Hannah and her son, Samuel.

　　For further reading:

　　Why Did God Withhold from His Most Faithful in the Bible?

　　How Did a Husband’s Love Help in the Face of Barrenness in the Bible?

　　Who Was Hannah in the Bible?