Persistent in Prayer

The beauty that we so often desire to embody and adorn ourselves with as women of God first and foremost comes from a heart completely surrendered to God in the secret place, in our prayer closets. The beauty described in 1 Peter 3:3-4, that of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God, can only be cultivated in a space of true, honest, and consistent prayer with the Lord Most High. After all, He is the transformer of hearts and can do in us what we naturally cannot.

“Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” — 1 Peter 3:3-4

The study of Hannah, as we will dive into this week, allows us to be captivated by the simple beauty of a prayerful heart embodying biblical femininity. Hannah’s story is one of perseverance, persistence and struggles being a vehicle through which God chose to sanctify this woman to perfect praise in her to the One who is worthy of it all.

In the beginning of her story as chronicled in the book of 1 Samuel, we meet Hannah as a woman much troubled in spirit as she had not conceived any children, for which she had much desired. As she labours day and night in prayer and chooses to visit the temple of God in offering her petitions to God, her character and image are called into question by the priest. She is in constant suffering and it doesn’t seem to relent for her.

But when God answers her prayer, after her vow to dedicate her to-be child to the Lord, she responds in exuberant prayer. 

“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.” — 1 Samuel 2:1

Giving God the due praise after His answer surely magnified His name and glorified the Lord. In addition, this beautiful prayer of devotion and thanksgiving revealed the extent to which Hannah herself knew the Lord’s heart and character. It shows who she knew the Lord to be, and reflects His majesty in her choice words. 

We can put our faith into practice like Hannah did by pouring our hearts out before Him like water.

“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah” — Psalm 62:8

“casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7

We can also exemplify the virtue of our faith by giving thanks and honor where it is due when our prayers have been answered by the Most High - even if and when the answers don’t look the way we wanted them to.

In continuing with the exposition of the Proverbs 31 Women series, the verse I had chosen for Hannah was Proverbs 31:10.

“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” — Proverbs 31:10

This verse encapsulates the value of the virtuous, capable woman who is the blueprint of biblical femininity that God chose to write in chapter 31 of the book of Proverbs. Hannah, being a wife, demonstrated that excellence as described by taking and offering her heart cry and petitions to the Lord, rather than to man. In prayer, rather than in complaint, in lament rather than grumbling. 

She made a promise to the Lord, and though others had misunderstood her position, thinking her disposition was due to drunkenness rather than the deep trouble within her soul, she continued on knowing her God saw the truth and was fighting for her. And indeed He did, and when she had received the fruit of her prayers she neglected not to first take everything back to the Lord and fulfill her promise to Him.

This, in essence, shows to me that Hannah’s character was overflowing with the wisdom of the Proverbs 31 woman.

I wonder, how God may be inviting you to be persistent in your prayers about whatever circumstances are troubling your spirit. And after He answers, how are, or will, your prayers reflect your knowledge of who God is?

“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” — John 17:3

May we remember, always, who God is - in and after the storms that life may have us navigating. May we take the example of Hannah in faithful obedience and pray with hearts poured out to God, and may we glorify Him in the process and aftermath of our prayers.

As we await His return…

To follow our journey of learning biblical femininity, find us on Instagram here.

To be in the know about our dresses, coming soon… join our waitlist here.