In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly (1 Samuel 1:10).

“God, if you do this one thing for me, I promise I will __________.” Have you ever prayed a prayer like that?

I have.

When I was a teenager, I remember bargaining with God in this way. I was desperate. I knew He was the One who could fix my problem. Although, if I am honest, I hadn’t thought of Him much until I was in that tough spot.

In my case, I was treating God like my “vending machine in the sky.” I only went to Him for a “quick fix” then moved on to the next thing. I wasn’t hungry for God, just what He could do for me.

In the story of Hannah, we see a woman who was hungry for God.

She longed for a child. But unfortunately, the people in her life were not exactly very supportive. Her husband didn’t seem to understand the depth of her pain. Her “family rival” (her husband’s other wife!) taunted her endlessly, and Eli, the priest, accused her of being drunk.

We read, “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly” (vs. 10). She made the choice to present herself earnestly and humbly before God. All she had to offer Him was the emptiness of her womb, her social stigma and personal shame. But she brought all this “emptiness” and poured her soul out to God in prayer.

What happened to her during her time of prayer? She was clearly desperate for God. She seemed to understand that God is sovereign and she was not.

After Hannah prayed, “Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.”  Notice that before her time with the Lord, she was too distressed to eat. But after offering her emptiness to all of God in His fullness – she was ready to nourish her body again.

At this point in the story, we don’t know how God is going to answer her. But it seems that she is “satisfied” with - God. Perhaps she senses that God has heard her plea and will answer according to His will. Although her circumstances have not yet changed and her prayer has not yet been answered - she is filled.  

Unlike the prayer I prayed as a teenager that left me wanting, Hannah offered her desire at the altar in exchange for the Presence of God.

Is there a desire or need that is consuming you?  How might you offer it to God in exchange for more of Him?