Let Jehovah Soothe You - Continue with WHAT WE LEARN FROM FAITHFUL HANNAH

When others speak harshly or act unkindly, we may feel anxious.  That is especially true if the one who hurt us is a close friend or relative.  We may worry that our friendship  with that individual is ruined. At times,  the person who hurt us may speak thoughtlessly, and we may feel as if we were stabbed with a sword!  (Proverbs 12:18)  Or someone may even deliberately choose to use words as a weapon.  A young sister had to deal with this challenge.  "A few years ago," she says,  "somebody I thought was a good friend started spreading rumors about me online. I felt hurt and anxious.  I just could not understand why she would stab me in the back like that."  If you have been hurt by a close friend or relative, you can learn much from Hannah.

Hannah had to deal with some difficult problems.  For many years she was unable to have children.  (1 Samuel 1:2)  In Israel culture,  a woman who was barren was believed to be cursed.  This left her feeling humiliated.  (Genesis 30:1, 2)  To make matters worse  for Hannah, her husband had another wife, Peninnah, who bore him children.  Peninnah  viewed Hannah as  a rival and "taunted her relentlessly in order to upset her."  (1 Samuel 1:6)  At first, Hannah did not cope well with these difficult challenges.  She was so upset that "she would weep and not eat." She became "extremely bitter at heart.  (1 Samuel 1:7, 10) How did Hannah find comfort?

Hannah poured out her feelings to Jehovah in prayer. After she prayed, she explained her situation to High Priest Eli.  He then told her: ""Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your petition." What was the result?  Hannah "went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer downcast."  (1 Samuel 1:17, 18)  Prayer helped Hanna to regain peace. 

We can regain our peace if we persevere in prayer.  Hannah spent a long time talking to her heavenly Father.  (1 Samuel 1:12)  We too can talk at length to Jehovah about our anxieties, our fears, and our shortcomings.  Our prayers do not have to be poetic or perfectly structured.  We may even find ourselves expressing bitter words that are interrupted by sobs of grief. Even so, Jehovah will never get tired of listening to us.  In addition to praying about our problems, we need to remember the advice given at Philippians 4:6, 7.  Paul specifically mentioned that we should offer prayer of thanksgiving, or gratitude. We have so many reasons to thank Jehovah.  For example, we can thank  him for the gift of life, for his creative works, for his loyal love, and for the wonderful hope that he has given us. What else can we learn from Hannah? 

Next time: Let Jehovah Soothe You - Conclusion of  WHAT WE LEARN FROM FAITHFUL HANNAH

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