As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. – 1 Samuel 1:12-13

Our first glimpse of Hannah depicts a troubled woman who was constantly taunted by her husband’s second wife, Peninnah. We learn from the first chapter of 1 Samuel that both Hannah and Peninnah were married to Elkannah. And although Hannah was the first wife, she had not been able to conceive a child, unlike Peninnah who had children. Elkannah seems to love Hannah more and is unbothered about the situation, but constant mockery and provocation from Peninnah made life unbearable for Hannah. Scripture tells us that year after year, Peninnah provoked Hannah.

Elkannah and his family went up from his city yearly to worship and sacrifice to the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And whenever the time came for Elkanah to make an offering, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, although the LORD had closed her womb. – 1 Samuel 1:4-5

On one of such visits to Shiloh, Elkannah tries to console Hannah, who was in grieve over her apparent childbirth woes, but she was inconsolable. Hannah arose from the midst of her husband and Peninnah and head towards the doorstep of the terbanacle of the Lord, where she prayed. Scripture tells us that “Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard.” Her silent murmurings caught the attention of Eli, the High Priest; whose initial thought was that she was drunk. He prays for her and prophesies into her life. A year on, Hannah comes back to Shiloh with a baby boy, Samuel, whom she later gives to the Lord as gratitude for opening her womb. Hannah goes on to have six more children in addition to Samuel.

Many of us today are going through situations that are similar to Hannah’s predicament. The Psalmist tells us that God is near to the heartbroken, and He saves those who are crushed in spirit. The Lord is talking to someone who is crushed in spirit today, He is talking to the one whose predicament is courting provocation and mockery from others, to the one whose heart is so broken to utter a word and so relies on murmurings. He says that your silent prayers have caught his attention. He says that He is moving swiftly on your behalf and that this time next year, you will be a living testimony of his goodness. This is the word of God, Amen.