Hannah prays and believes
key words
biblical reference
1 Samuel 1:1-2, 21
memory verse
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV*).
lesson objective
To help the children to trust that God can answer prayers in the best way possible.
prepare yourself to teach
Hannah was the wife of Elkanah, but not the only one. As in other cases in the Bible, marriages of this type caused problems. Elkanah’s other wife was called Peninnah. She had children, but not Hannah, which was frowned upon in that society. However, this did not affect the love Elkanah had for Hannah. Even though she had no children, he preferred her to Peninnah. At that time, to have a son was to honor her husband. And for Hannah, the inability to give Elkanah a child caused her great pain.
When they made their annual trip to Shiloh to worship, Hannah asked the Lord fervently to give her a son. To show the Lord that her request was not a selfish thing, she offered to dedicate him to his service.
When God answered her prayer and gave her a son, Hannah remembered her promise. When Samuel was ready, Ana brought him to Shiloh and presented the boy to the priest, Eli, to serve the Lord in the Tabernacle. Hannah’s prayer of thanks is located in Chapter 2 of 1 Samuel and is known as the “Magnificat” of the Old Testament. Her overflow of praise to God is very similar to the prayer of Mary in Luke 1. God was pleased with Hannah and honored her with three more sons and two daughters.
Hannah did not forget her child while the child grew up under the supervision of Eli. Each year, she made a new robe for her son and she brought it when the family went to Shiloh to worship God.
adaptation
Many children, perhaps the majority, still pray focused on themselves; maybe some have progressed to the point of saying, “God is great, God is good.” In most prayers, they thank the Lord for what he has given, or answers to their requests. That does not mean they are not praying; however, they can learn to pray a more significant prayer if an adult teaches them.
Help your children understand that God can speak freely on any matter. This includes giving thanks, making personal requests, and for any other concerns.
Children need help to understand that when they pray, they must ask God to do His will; in this way they will accept the Lord’s answers to their prayers. This is not an easy lesson to learn, even for adults.
introduce the lesson
Ask children what they know about prayer. (Let them respond.) Invite one or more volunteers to come to your class and share with the class about an experience when God has answered their prayer(s). Say: “We can pray to God anytime and talk about any subject.” Then ask the group: “When do you pray?” (Before eating, at church, before bed, etc.)
When we pray, we must believe some principles about God. Make these three statements and ask the children to raise their hands after each statement if they agree:
1. We believe that God hears us when we pray.
2. We believe that God can answer our prayers.
3. We believe that God wants the best for us.
Say, “In the Bible story today we will learn more about prayer. After the lesson I will ask you some questions about these three statements.”
teach the lesson
Study 1 Samuel 1:1-2 and 21 prior to the session. If possible, find a toy doll. Get different colored clothes to dress it. Emphasize the fact that Hannah prayed and believed in God. To tell the story, bring to class this doll, in order to emphasize the fact of leaving Samuel at the temple at a very young age. If you have several types of clothes, show that Hannah visited her son each year and brought him a different robe.
In developing the class, take into account the amount of time that children can pay attention. Tell the story in a pleasant and interesting way. If you see that they do not pay attention, do not rush to finish the lesson, better use a song with movement and then continue.
Remember that the success of the class depends on your preparation.
Finish the lesson by asking simple questions such as:
Why was Hannah sad? (Because she had no children.)What did Hannah do when she and her husband Elkanah went to Shiloh to worship God? (She prayed and asked God for a son.)What promise did Hannah give God if he gave her a son? (That she would give her son to serve in the house of God forever.)What did Eli the priest say to Ana when he heard her request? (Go in peace, and may God hear your prayer.)How did God answer Hannah’s prayer? (He gave her a son, Samuel.)True or False: Hannah kept her promise and gave Samuel to serve God forever. (True.)What can we say to God when we pray? (Anything that is important to us.)What are the three ways in which God can answer our prayers? (Yes, no, wait.)
connect the lesson
Shhhh, I’m praying
You need the top part of Student Activity Sheet #124-A and #124-B, scissors and glue. (Optional: clear contact paper/ sticky covering paper and crayons.)
Have the children cut out the two upper parts of the activity sheets (door hangers). Allow the children to decorate them. If possible, you can cover it with clear contact paper to have greater protection.
Tell them that this is to hang on the door of their room to let others know that they are praying. When they stop praying, turn it over so you see the phrase “God Listens to My Prayers”
(Psalm 4:3).
Yes, No Wait
You need the Student Activity Sheet #124-B and pencils.
Help the group answer the question: "How do you think that God will answer your prayers?"
Crossword
Let your children put the correct words in the crossword puzzle. Then have them write the correct words on the blank lines to complete the verse.
practice the memory verse
You can use any of the methods mentioned in previous lessons, or find a creative new way to teach the memory verse.
Help them to remember everything they need to take home (activity sheets, etc.). Thank everyone for attending class and make some kind of connection to the next lesson.
wrap-up
Pray
Close with prayer. Have three or four volunteers pray for something or someone else. End this time thanking God for hearing our prayers and answering with what is best for us.
Encourage
Encourage the children to pray for their friends and families at home.
Invite
Invite the students to the next session to study the next lesson of this unit. Ask them to also invite their friends to attend.
* Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™