1 SAMUEL 1:1-28 “Don’t Stop Praying”

1 Samuel – Week 1 – “Don’t Stop Praying” The Power of Passionate Prayer

1 Samuel 1:1-28

¹ There was a man from Ramathaim-zophim in the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

² He had two wives, the first named Hannah and the second Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.

³ This man would go up from his town every year to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of Armies at Shiloh, where Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were the Lord’s priests.

⁴ Whenever Elkanah offered a sacrifice, he always gave portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to each of her sons and daughters.

⁵ But he gave a double portion to Hannah, for he loved her even though the Lord had kept her from conceiving.

⁶ Her rival would taunt her severely just to provoke her, because the Lord had kept Hannah from conceiving.

⁷ Year after year, when she went up to the Lord’s house, her rival taunted her in this way. Hannah would weep and would not eat.

⁸ “Hannah, why are you crying?” her husband, Elkanah, would ask. “Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

⁹ On one occasion, Hannah got up after they ate and drank at Shiloh. The priest Eli was sitting on a chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s temple.

¹⁰ Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.

¹¹ Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”

¹² While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence, Eli watched her mouth.

¹³ Hannah was praying silently, and though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk

¹⁴ and said to her, “How long are you going to be drunk? Get rid of your wine!”

¹⁵ “No, my lord,” Hannah replied. “I am a woman with a broken heart. I haven’t had any wine or beer; I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord.

¹⁶ Don’t think of me as a wicked woman; I’ve been praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment.”

¹⁷ Eli responded, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request you’ve made of him.”

¹⁸ “May your servant find favor with you,” she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.

¹⁹ The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to worship before the Lord. Afterward, they returned home to Ramah. Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.

²⁰ After some time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.”

²¹ When Elkanah and all his household went up to make the annual sacrifice and his vow offering to the Lord,

²² Hannah did not go and explained to her husband, “After the child is weaned, I’ll take him to appear in the Lord’s presence and to stay there permanently.”

²³ Her husband, Elkanah, replied, “Do what you think is best, and stay here until you’ve weaned him. May the Lord confirm your word.” So Hannah stayed there and nursed her son until she weaned him.

²⁴ When she had weaned him, she took him with her to Shiloh, as well as a three-year-old bull, half a bushel of flour, and a clay jar of wine. Though the boy was still young, she took him to the Lord’s house at Shiloh.

²⁵ Then they slaughtered the bull and brought the boy to Eli.

²⁶ “Please, my lord,” she said, “as surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord.

²⁷ I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked him for,

²⁸ I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” Then he worshiped the Lord there.

• Today, I want to talk to you about “Don’t Stop Praying” as we look at “The Power of Passionate Prayer”
• In our beginning study through the book of 1 Samuel

PRAY!

Intro:

• There once was a woman named Monica,
• Who lived in North Africa in the 4th century.
• She was a devout Christian,
• But her greatest heartache was her son,
• Augustine,
• Who had rejected the faith
• And was living a life of immorality and rebellion.
• Augustine pursued worldly pleasures,
• Rejected Christian teachings,
• And even embraced a false religion.
• Monica was heartbroken,
• But instead of giving up on her son,
• She prayed passionately for him for years—
• Day and night, with tears, crying out to God to save him.
• She pleaded with God for his soul,
• Asking that he would turn from his sin and surrender to Christ.
• For years, nothing seemed to change.
• But Monica never stopped praying.
• She even followed Augustine to different cities,
• Interceding fervently for his salvation.
• Eventually, God answered her prayers in an incredible way.
• Augustine, after hearing a child’s voice say, “Take up and read,”
• Opened the Bible to Romans 13:13-14,
• Where he was convicted of his sin
• And surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.
• That rebellious son became St. Augustine of Hippo—
• One of the greatest theologians in church history,
• Whose writings shaped Christian thought for centuries.
• Monica’s passionate prayers changed the course of her son’s life—
• And ultimately influenced the entire Christian world.
• “Just like Monica, Hannah in 1 Samuel 1 was a woman who faced great sorrow.
• She longed for a child,
• Just as Monica longed for her son’s salvation.
• But instead of letting discouragement take over,
• She turned to God in passionate, persistent prayer.
• Today,
• We will see
• That just as Hannah’s passionate prayer led to the birth of Samuel,
• God still responds to heartfelt prayers
• My goal for you and me today is to not simply look at Hannah and say
• “How can I be like her?”
• But through her example,
• See how she foreshadowed Jesus Himself
• And how he modeled this for us through His own intercession.
• What does it mean to pray passionately?
• What does this type of praying look like?
• And how did Jesus model it for us?
• We will find the answers by looking first at a few of the elements of Hannah’s prayer
• And then, in the end, looking at Jesus’s Prayer
• Let’s look at the first one

The Cry of the Passionate Heart

• Hannah’s prayer is a powerful example
• Of how believers can approach God in desperation, faith, and surrender.

1 Samuel 1:10

¹⁰ Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept with many tears.

• The phrase “deeply hurt” (מָרַת נָפֶשׁ, marat nephesh) means “bitter of soul.”
• Meaning she was in a state of emotional distress and grief in the deepest part of her
• Hannah’s sorrow was not a lack of faith,
• But an expression of deep longing before God—
• A biblical theme that can often be seen in the book of Psalms and Lamentations.
• She wept with many tears,
• Translates she wept in “Anguish”
• Demonstrating raw emotion—
• Not a ritualistic prayer,
• But a cry from the depths of her soul.
• Why is this important for us to see?
• Because it shows us that
• God welcomes our honesty—
• We don’t have to filter our emotions before Him.
• We can see this with others in scripture
• First, in King David in

Psalm 6:6

I am weary from my groaning; with my tears I dampen my bed and drench my couch every night.

• Then, in Jesus himself

Luke 22:44

⁴⁴ Being in anguish, he prayed more fervently, and his sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.

• But it did not stop with her cry
• She had Faith & Persistence in her prayers

1 Samuel 1:11

 ¹¹ Making a vow, she pleaded, “Lord of Armies, if you will take notice of your servant’s affliction, remember and not forget me, and give your servant a son, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and his hair will never be cut.”

• She made a vow,
• Showing her trust in God’s ability to answer her request.
• It shows us that
• She Believed God Had the Power to Open Her Womb
• Hannah was barren (1 Samuel 1:5-6), and
• In ancient Israel,
• Barrenness was seen as a sign of divine disfavor or a major social disgrace.
• However, instead of becoming bitter,
• She brought her burden directly to God,
• Showing that she believed only He had the power to give life
• She Was Willing to Surrender back to God the very thing she was asking for
• If she doubted God’s ability to answer,
• She wouldn’t have made the vow.
• By offering her future son to the Lord,
• She demonstrated that her request was not for selfish gain but for God’s glory.
• Hannah’s Commitment to God’s Glory
• Shows us
• First to Trust in God’s Power:
• Even in desperate circumstances,
• God is able to answer prayers in miraculous ways.
• Second Be Willing to Surrender:
• True faith means giving back to God what He gives us—
• Our children, our gifts, our resources.
• Prayer Is Not Just About Asking—
• It’s About Commitment:
• Hannah didn’t just seek a blessing;
• She vowed to use it for God’s purposes.

1 Samuel 1:12

¹² While she continued praying in the Lord’s presence Eli watched her mouth.

• The Hebrew verb for “Continued” suggests “multiplying prayers”
• Meaning Hannah prayed persistently, not just once.
• Passionate prayer requires persistence—
• Faith is demonstrated in continued prayer,
• Even when there is no immediate answer.
• Why is this important?
• Because no matter the outcome of the prayer
• It demonstrates our trust in God’s timing and sovereignty.
• We also get to see how God hears and responds
• Without anything necessarily in the moment changing

1 Samuel 1:17-18

¹⁷ Eli responded, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant the request you’ve made of him.”

¹⁸ “May your servant find favor with you,” she replied. Then Hannah went on her way; she ate and no longer looked despondent.

• Eli’s blessing reassures Hannah that God heard her prayer,
• Even before the answer was visible.
• Through her prayer, God gave her inner peace and assurance,
• Even before circumstances change.
• That is the power of prayer
• That Because OF THE God we pray to
• No matter our circumstance
• When we cry out,
• He responds with his peace
• Even if we have not seen the answer
• I don’t know what you’re asking for this morning
• But “Don’t Stop Praying”
• Rest in the peace he gives while you wait for him to respond
• Hannah’s passionate cry was not just emotional;
• It was full of faith and persistence.
• But what happened after she poured out her heart before God?
• Did God respond to her plea?
• This brings us to our next Element

The Fruit of Passionate Prayer

• Hannah’s prayer wasn’t just about her desire for a child;
• It was about God’s greater plan.
• Let’s see how God answered her prayer
• In a way that impacted not only her life but the entire nation of Israel.”
• This kind of prayer produces fruit

1 Samuel 1:19-20

¹⁹ The next morning Elkanah and Hannah got up early to worship before the Lord. Afterward, they returned home to Ramah. Then Elkanah was intimate with his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered her.

²⁰ After some time, Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, because she said, “I requested him from the Lord.”

• First the fruit of answered prayer
• God answered Hannah’s prayer by giving her Samuel, who became a great prophet.
• Passionate prayer leads to God’s provision in His perfect time.
• Second is the fruit of our response to answered prayer

1 Samuel 1:27-28

²⁷ I prayed for this boy, and since the Lord gave me what I asked him for,

²⁸ I now give the boy to the Lord. For as long as he lives, he is given to the Lord.” Then he worshiped the Lord there.

• Hannah fulfilled her vow by dedicating Samuel to the Lord,
• Showing gratitude and obedience.
• When God answers prayer,
• We should be ready to respond with thanksgiving and commitment.
• Third is the fruit of God’s greater purpose with our prayer
• Samuel’s role in Israel’s history
• Shows that God’s answers have a redemptive purpose beyond personal blessing.
• For example, Samuel anointed David, leading to the Messianic lineage of Jesus.
• Ask yourself as you pray, does my passionate prayer align with God’s greater plan?
• Hannah’s passionate prayer led to the birth of Samuel,
• Who played a pivotal role in Israel’s history.
• But why was her prayer so powerful?
• What was it about her prayer that moved the heart of God?
• It wasn’t just her desperation or her vow—
• It was her righteous heart and faith.
• This leads us to our final point:

The Power of Righteous Prayer

James 5:16 – (says it this way)

¹⁶ Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.

• Powerful Prayers Come from the Righteous
• James 5:16 tells us that prayer is powerful,
• But not just any prayer—
• It’s the prayer of the righteous that is “very powerful in its effect.”
• But what do we mean by “righteous”?
• Hannah’s righteousness in the Old Testament was based on her behavior—
• Her faithfulness, her vow, and her obedience to God.
• But that was before Jesus.
• Our Righteousness Comes from Jesus

2 Corinthians 5:21

²¹ He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

• In the Old Testament, righteousness was often tied to actions, sacrifices, and keeping the Law.
• But when Jesus came, He took on our sin—
• The very thing that made us unrighteous.
• Why is this important?
• Because of what Jesus did for us,
• Not because of anything we do,
• We have been made righteous.
• Our prayers are not powerful
• Because we’ve cleaned ourselves up
• Or said all the right words—
• He is not looking for you and me to make a vow like Hannah
• Our prayers are powerful because we have Jesus,
• Who made us righteous.
• In fact, Jesus is the Ultimate Intercessor
• The Ultimate Powerful Prayer

Hebrews 7:25

²⁵ Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.

• Hannah’s prayers were based on her behavior,
• But our prayers today are based on Jesus’ righteousness.
• Jesus continues to intercede for us—
• He is our mediator, standing before God on our behalf.
• That means that every time we pray,
• We pray through Jesus,
• And that is why our prayers are not just powerful
• But “very powerful in their effect.”
• The Greek word for “effect” in James 5:16 means “being made effective”—it is active and producing results.
• So what does this mean for us today?
• You and me don’t have to be perfect to pray powerfully—
• Jesus has already made you righteous.
• Because of Jesus, our prayers are stronger even than Hannah’s!
• We can be even more passionate in our prayers
• Because we are backed by Jesus’ power and intercession.
• Hannah’s prayers were passionate,
• But they were tied to her behavior.
• Today, because of Jesus,
• Our passionate prayers are even more powerful—
• Not because of what we have done,
• But because of what Christ has already accomplished.
• And the best part?
• Jesus is still interceding for us,
• Making our prayers effective and powerful before God.
• Let’s not hold back—
• When we pray
• Let’s pray with boldness, passion, and confidence,
• Knowing that our prayers have power because of Jesus!”
• So, I think our best response to what we have heard today
• Is to Pray!

Prayer Prompts: Pray Together in Pairs

Passionate & Persistent Prayer

• Ask God to deepen your prayer life with faith and perseverance.
• Pray for renewed passion in seeking Him.
• 1 Samuel 1:10-12

Trusting God’s Timing & Purpose

• Surrender your waiting season to God.
• Pray for faith to trust His greater plan.
• 1 Samuel 1:27-28

Praying with Confidence in Christ

• Thank God that your prayers are powerful because of Jesus.
• Ask for boldness to pray with faith, knowing He is interceding.
• James 5:16, Hebrews 7:25