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Hope Springs Forth
Throughout the year, we have continued to celebrate the 90th anniversary of The Upper Room daily Read More
Frederick W. Schmidt | Read 1 Samuel 2:1-10
Hannah’s prayer in the second chapter of First Samuel and the poetry of David at the end of Second Samuel (22–23:7) provide thematic bookends to the stories of Samuel, Saul, and David. Both passages emphasize the truths that inform the writer’s critique of that history. They outline the path of...
Gracious God, I confess my hubris, my pride, my need for control. I confess the harm that I have done to those who depend on me. Teach me to depend on you. Free me from the primal desire to be my own god, and lead me into the future that only you can give. Amen.
The inability to have a child brings pain to many today, and this was equally true in ancient times. In that context it was sometimes even worse, for Peninnah openly ridicules Hannah for being unable to conceive. But as a result of Hannah’s desperate, heartfelt prayer, God blesses her with a son, Samuel, who will become a powerful prophet. Hannah then rejoices in a God who exalts the poor and needy. Hannah provides an example of the boldness with which we also can approach God now because of Christ’s sacrifice. The destruction of Jerusalem is the focus of the passage in Mark. Jesus here predicts the demolition of the Temple and the city, which the Romans executed in 70 c.e.
Read 1 Samuel 1:4-20. How do you persist in prayer when your prayer seems unanswered for a long time?
Read 1 Samuel 2:1-10. How do you express your joy and thanks when God answers your prayer?
Read Hebrews 10:11-25. What helps you to persevere in the practice of your faith?
Read Mark 13:1-8. What signs make you anxious about the future? What helps you to hold on to hope?
Respond by posting a prayer.
