God Heard Her

This is Part 7 of a 12-Part Series on Church Hurt

For the sake of simplicity, in this series, I am typically going to refer to any place of worship as a "church" and any type of leader as a "pastor" and/or "priest".

Eli may not have heard Hannah's prayer.

Elkanah may not have heard Hannah's prayer.

The congregation may not have heard Hannah's prayer.

But rest assured, God had heard Hannah's prayer! And Hannah's passionate and heartfelt prayer yielded powerful results!

Eli saw her, Elkanah knew her, but, most importantly, God had heard her!

"So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, 'Because I asked the Lord for him.'" - 1 Samuel 1:20

"Samuel" sounds like the Hebrew word for "heard by God".

Hannah was a "nobody" in the church. Even after the scene she had caused at the church when Eli accused her of being drunk, she still had to identify herself to Eli just a few years later because he wouldn't even have recognized her or remembered her. (1 Samuel 1:25-27)

But God recognized Hannah!

And God remembered Hannah! (1 Samuel 1:19)

And God heard Hannah! ... Even when no one else did!

Her voice may have been ignored or even silenced by the church and by church leadership her whole life, but her voice had been heard by the God of the Universe, and her voice mattered to Him!

Not only was Hannah seen, heard, known, and remembered by God, she was also answered! Hannah received a direct answer to her prayer! That is some significant "two-way communication"! And it was a miracle! If you pray for a child and receive a child, that's a direct answer to prayer, but if you experience years and years of infertility and you pray for a child and conceive a child - without any medical intervention whatsoever - that's a miracle! But not only did Hannah receive a miracle, she received the fulfillment of one of the deepest desires of her heart; she had children - plural! Many of them - six to be exact!

The church had ignored her and silenced her, but God heard her and listened to her.

The church had ridiculed her, but God remembered her and responded to her.

With very little tangible influence in her culture, Hannah had managed to make an impression on and influence her male leaders, her husband, and her God. And her life and her testimony became evidence of God's existence and His Love for people (all people!) - deep, personal, intimate Love. The kind of Love that fully knows and completely understands the deepest desires of someone's heart.

The second chapter of 1 Samuel begins with another prayer from Hannah; a prayer of praise and gratitude to God. And not only did Hannah pray this prayer audibly (1 Samuel 2:1 GWT and NDGB), but it was recorded forever in Scripture! Hannah's "voice" became a part of Scripture! Ironically enough, The Voice Translation begins, "Then Hannah prayed out of her deepest feelings":

She begins by expressing her joy that God has answered her prayer:

"I'm bursting with God-news! I'm walking on air. I'm laughing at my rivals. I'm dancing my salvation." (MSG)

"No other god is like You. And with You we are safer than on a high mountain." (CEV)

Next she warns the religious people who had been treating her differently:

"Quit acting so proud and arrogant! The Lord knows what you have done, and He will judge your deeds." (TLB)

"Speak no more in your pride. Do not let proud talk come out of your mouth. For the Lord is a God Who knows. Actions are weighed by Him." (NLV)

Then she speaks about God's supernatural intervention and justice:

"The weapons of brave soldiers may break, but weak people who fall become strong again. People who had plenty of food to eat have to work for it now. But the people who were hungry have enough food now. Women who could not have any children have now given birth to seven children. But those who had many children are now alone." (EEB)

She goes on to acknowledge His Sovereignty:

"The Lord! He brings death, gives life, takes down to the grave, and raises up! The Lord! He makes poor, gives wealth, brings low, but also lifts up high! God raises the poor from the dust, lifts up the needy from the garbage pile. God sits them with officials, gives them the seat of honor! The pillars of the earth belong to the Lord; He set the world on top of them!" (CEB)

"You lift the poor and homeless out of the garbage dump and give them places of honor in royal palaces. You set the world on foundations, and they belong to You." (CEV)

And she wraps up by comparing the protection He offers by following Him to those who follow their own sinful desires:

"God guards the feet of His faithful ones, but the wicked die in darkness because no one succeeds by strength alone." (CEB)

"He protects those who are loyal to Him, but evil people will be silenced in darkness. Power is not the key to success." (NCV)

If you have experienced some sort of "church hurt", you can rest assured that God sees you, hears you, and knows you as well! ... And you matter to Him!

© I Lift My Voice, 2025

Click Here to Read Part 8 in This 12-Part Series on Church Hurt