Hannah Prayer

Inside di house of God, one woman dey pray so hard say her lips dey move but no sound dey come out. Di old priest wey dey watch her frown. E think say she don drunk. E no fit wrong pass dat one.

For di hill country of Ephraim, one man wey dem dey call Elkanah dey live, with two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. Peninnah get children. Hannah no get any. Every year di family dey travel go Shiloh, where di house of Di Lord dey, to worship and offer sacrifice. And every year, for di feast, di same painful thing dey happen. Elkanah dey give portions of di sacrifice to Peninnah and all her sons and daughters. To Hannah e dey give special portion, because e love her. But Peninnah dey provoke her, year after year, dey rub am for her face say Di Lord never give her children. Hannah go cry and she no go chop.

Elkanah try to comfort her. Hannah, why you dey cry? Why you no wan chop? Why your heart dey heavy like dis? I no worth pass ten sons for you? E mean well. But e no reach where di pain dey. So after di meal, Hannah get up go di house of Di Lord. Eli di priest sit down for one seat near di doorpost. With deep pain for her heart, Hannah pray and cry bitterly. And she make vow. Lord of hosts, if you go look di suffering of your servant, and remember me, and no forget me, and give me son, then I go give am to Di Lord for all di days of im life, and razor no go ever touch im head.

She continue to pray, quietly, only her lips dey move. Eli watch her come decide say she must don drunk. How long you go dey drunk? Stop to drink wine! No, my lord, Hannah talk. I be woman wey get heavy trouble for heart. I no drink wine or beer. I dey pour my soul out to Di Lord. No take me as woman wey no get value. Na from my great sorrow and pain I dey pray. Eli voice change completely. Go in peace. And make di God of Israel give you wetin you don ask am. Hannah go back, chop something, and her face no dey sad again. Nothing don change yet. But she don hand her load give God.

Early di next morning di family worship and go back house for Ramah. And Di Lord remember Hannah. She carry belle and born one son. She name am Samuel, and she talk, Because I ask Di Lord for am. When di next yearly journey reach, Hannah stay for house. Once di boy stop to suck breast, she tell Elkanah, I go carry am go present am before Di Lord, and e go stay there for good. And when dat day reach, she do exactly wetin she promise. She bring small Samuel go Shiloh, with offerings of sacrifice, flour and wine, and she find Eli. You remember me, my lord? Na me be di woman wey stand here beside you dey pray. I pray for dis child, and Di Lord don give me wetin I ask. So now I give am to Di Lord. For im whole life, I don give am to Di Lord.

Then Hannah pray again, and dis time her prayer na song. My heart dey rejoice for Di Lord. Nobody holy like Di Lord. Nobody dey apart from you. No rock dey like our God. She sing about God wey dey turn things upside down. Di proud fall down. Di hungry get food chop. Di woman wey no get children become mama. E dey raise di poor from di dust, she sing, and e dey lift di needy from di ash heap, to make dem sit with princes. Then di family go back house for Ramah, and di boy Samuel stay behind to serve Di Lord under Eli di priest.

Hannah no forget am. Every year she dey sew small robe for am and bring am come when she come with her husband for di yearly sacrifice. You fit picture am: every year, di robe big small pass di last one. And Eli bless Elkanah and Hannah. Make Di Lord give you children through dis woman, to take di place of di one wey she give to Di Lord. And e do am. Hannah get three more sons and two daughters. Meanwhile di boy Samuel dey grow for di presence of Di Lord.

Shiloh, where dis story happen, na di main place wey Israel dey worship long before Jerusalem. Di book of Joshua talk say di whole community of Israel gather there and set up di tent of meeting. Di book of Judges give direction to reach there: for north of Bethel, just for east of di main road wey go up to Shechem. Archaeologists don dig there many times. Later, dem destroy Shiloh, and di prophet Jeremiah use am as warning. Go Shiloh, e tell di people of Jerusalem, and see wetin God do am. But for Hannah time, na di heart of Israel faith.

Hannah prayer. You go find am for First Samuel, chapter one and two. Hannah bring her deepest sorrow to God, with honest heart and with tears. And then she keep her promise, even though e cost her plenty. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. How e go be if you pour out your heart to God, di way Hannah do?