The Complicated Celebration Prayer after a Victory
“And Hannah prayed and said, ”My heart exults in the LORD; my horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. “There is none holy like the LORD: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn.”
1 Samuel 2:1–5 Read More
Here she is, the happiest woman alive. Hannah has just fulfilled her end of the vow she made to God. If God would give her a son, she could dedicate him to a life serving God in the temple. She has just dropped him off at a very young age to be raised in the house of the Lord. She has been harassed by others and surely beaten up herself, but now the final victory has been achieved.
In her celebration, she covers a wide range of things. We will just read a little bit here, but it’s worth going and reading all of 1 Samuel 2 to see what all she prays.
She praises God
“The LORD is a God of knowledge” she says, as well as speaking of His might and strength.
The Lord weighs all of our actions. He alone is the judge of Mankind.
No one is holy like the Lord is. God is the source of all holiness.
The Lord is steadfast, like a rock. Hannah trusted God and called out to Him for years before her prayers were answered.
She prays for Justice
That the poor would have food to eat and suffer no longer
The weapons of the mighty would be broken. The oppressed people would be free.
She who has many children is forlorn-This is a direct slam on the woman that has been bullying her
These Victory Prayers are Complex
This is just one place in the Bible where an ecstatic person prays and covers blessings, curses, history, and the future. She will go on to pray about “God’s anointed” which is how King David is described also. While none of these can be forced into a cookie-cutter way to pray, they do show that people pray for a lot of different things.
Whether you are praying for justice, simply talking about things that God has done, or re-capping the past years and looking for examples of God’s faithfulness, there are many ways to pray. Hannah prayed out of the overflow of her soul and said things directly to God without trying to manipulate Him or keep to a script. She spoke honestly to the God of the universe and He listened.
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