So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.
1 Samuel 1:9-11
In 1865 William Ross Wallace wrote a poem titled “What Rules the World.” It is remembered today for one famous line: “The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” Wallace was recognizing a truth the Bible had already made clear: the influence of a godly mother reaches far beyond the nursery. A mother who shapes a child’s heart is helping shape the future.
Hannah understood this truth long before Wallace wrote his poem. Though our society often views children differently today, Scripture teaches that children are a great blessing and gift from God. “Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward” (Psalm 127:3). Hannah’s grief was deep because she was barren, and when her family went to Shiloh, she brought that grief directly to the Lord.Â
But Hannah’s prayer revealed more than sorrow. It revealed surrender. She asked God for a son, but not merely so she could keep him for herself. She vowed that if God gave her a child, she would give him back to the Lord all the days of his life. God answered Hannah’s prayer and gave her Samuel. When he was old enough, Hannah kept her promise and brought him to Eli at Shiloh. The child she had prayed for with tears was the child she released by faith. Samuel would grow to become a prophet, a judge, and a spiritual leader in Israel. The prayers of one mother helped prepare the way for the work of God in a generation.
We should honor women who have a mother’s heart. In a world increasingly marked by being “without natural affection” (2 Timothy 3:3), godly mothers deserve our gratitude, encouragement, and prayers. Their work may often be hidden, but its influence can reach farther than anyone knows.
