Many of us knows the story of Hannah, the first wife of Eli. She suffered a lot of domestic abuse and provocations. One would have thought that the household of a man of God would be a place of peace and tranquility, but it was not so with Eli. His second wife, Peninnah, was a tigress in the house. She mocked, cajoled, abused and humiliated Hannah because Hannah had no child. (1 Samuel 1:6) That is what we see in polygamous homes today.
But one incident changed the course of Hannah's life for ever. It was the time of a religious festival and Eli took his whole family to the temple at Shiloh to participate in the ceremony. There everyone got fulfilled with all that the festival offered: contentment and happiness. But it was not so with Hannah. She was deeply troubled in her heart. On her arrival at Shiloh, Hannah was not much interested in the festival. Instead she stationed herself at the altar and poured her heart out in prayer to God. Eli noticed her, but there was something in her behavior that astonished him. Although her lips moved as she talked, Eli could tell that her voice was not producing any audible sound. It was difficult for anyone to hear what she was saying. And Eli considered it wrong behavior for her to be drunk at that time of the day. But when he had cautioned her, she affirmed she was only praying and not drunk.
However, God heard Hannah's prayer. How interesting it is to know that we can pray to God in diverse ways: in spirit, loudly, in tongues or by meditation. Eli was not used to Hannah's pattern of praying, but her situation pushed her to pray in a way that baffled her husband, in a way that nobody had ever prayed before and achieved result. You too can pray like Hannah. We can pray in different ways, in all circumstances and wherever we find ourselves, whether in the market, in our workplace, in the bus, along the road or anywhere.
This is important because we need God's protection at all times. And it is our prayers that can help us out of all difficult conditions. May the Lord hear from heaven as you pray to Him today and always. May He bless you and your loved ones in Jesus Name.