Hannah was very sad. She wept and wept. She prayed to the Lord.

As Hannah kept on praying to the Lord, Eli watched her lips.

She was praying in her heart. Her lips were moving. But she wasn’t making a sound. Eli thought Hannah was drunk.

Don’t think of me as an evil woman. I’ve been praying here because I’m very sad. My pain is so great.”

Hannah said to Eli, “Pardon me, sir. I’m the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. And that’s just as sure as you are alive.

I prayed for this child. The Lord has given me what I asked him for.

Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed. She said, “The Lord has filled my heart with joy. He has made me strong. I can laugh at my enemies. I’m so glad he saved me.

Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife. He would say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman. May they take the place of the boy she prayed for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would go home.

Then Samuel said, “Gather all the Israelites together at Mizpah. I will pray to the Lord for you.”

They said to Samuel, “Don’t stop crying out to the Lord our God to help us. Keep praying that he’ll save us from the power of the Philistines.”

Then Samuel got a very young lamb. He sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord to help Israel. And the Lord answered his prayer.

Samuel wasn’t pleased when they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So he prayed to the Lord.

They said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for us. Pray that we won’t die because we asked for a king. That was an evil thing to do. We added it to all our other sins.”

I would never sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. I’ll teach you to live in a way that is good and right.

Then Saul prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel. He said, “Why haven’t you answered your servant today? If I or my son Jonathan is to blame, answer with Urim. But if the Israelites are to blame, answer with Thummim.” Jonathan and Saul were chosen by casting lots. The other men were cleared of blame.