Have you ever had an experience where you were so lost in your own thoughts that you didn’t realize what was going on around you? It happens to me from time to time. I’ll get lost in thought and not realize I walked past my destination. Or occasionally while driving, I find myself going a little too fast because I was so engrossed in my own thoughts (though that happens less frequently now with cruise control!).
Often, this happens without my realizing it. I don’t try to “zone out” from the world and get lost in my own thoughts—it just happens. Hannah had a similar experience while she was praying. She desperately wanted a son and frequently came before the Lord pleading for one. On one such occasion, she was so lost in prayer that Eli the priest thought she was drunk! Here’s what Samuel (her eventual son) writes:
As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 1 Samuel 1:12-15
When was the last time you got lost in prayer? Maybe you never have, or maybe it was just yesterday. Hannah was so consumed with her Lord that she became lost in prayer. She was so desperate, she had no choice but to be lost in prayer!
What are your deepest, most desperate desires and dreams? Maybe it’s time to pour out your soul before the Lord as Hannah did. Maybe it’s time to get lost in conversation with the God who loves you and stopped at nothing to make you His own.
I love the idea of Lost in Prayer and I also love the story of Hannah who is one of my favorites. As a mother I have learned so much from her. I see her struggle in prayer as she longs for children. But the greatest moment occurs when we see her receive Eli’s words of blessing. Her reaction is amazing. She immediately feels the peace that passes understanding. She still doesn’t actually have a child, but what she does have is the absolute certainty that God has heard her. As she was “lost in prayer” and beseeching God, her heart was heavy. Now her sadness is lifted and even her appetite returns. That wonderful feeling of absolute trust that God WILL answer your prayer is what allows you to return from your reverie into the real world and still carry with you the perfect peace that only God can give. It’s great to be LOST in prayer, but even greater to FIND the peace and absolute assurance that God will answer your prayer even when you can’t yet see the answer.
Great points Karen! I liked Pastor’s final point from the sermon about how our response can precede the fulfillment of the promise simply because God cannot break His promise. Hannah lived confident in God’s faithfulness and it was God’s assurance through Eli that helped her turn the corner.