Hannah
key words
biblical reference
1 Samuel 1:1 – 2:11 and 18-21
lesson objective
To help the students learn to trust in the faithfulness of God and increase their desire to pray
memory verse
“But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you″ (1 Samuel 12:24, NIV*).
prepare yourself to teach
Through intentional, specific, and consistent prayer, the body of Christ becomes the eyes, hands, and feet of the Savior. The will of God is for all people to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Jesus came to our world to bring about this purpose of his Father. Our prayer is that God will unite our will to his purpose so that his redemption will be realized. Prayer helps us to discern what God's will is (Romans 12:2) and gives us the perseverance to do that will (Hebrews 10:36).
Children who regularly attend church or belong to a Christian family are increasingly familiar with prayer. For them to pray is very simple; all they have to do is talk to Jesus. It is common to hear them give thanks for their pets and toys, and asking for protection for their parents while they work. Having your children kneel in your group and pray is a good start; however, you should encourage them to make this a habit, a way of life. This session is a good opportunity for you to share your personal testimony about your personal prayer life (or you may invite the pastor or leader known in the local church, to explain how, where, when and for how long they pray).
Our children need to understand that prayer should be an important part of their lives, and we need to encourage them to put it into practice. In this session you can explain that you started slowly, you did not begin by praying one hour a day. Likewise they should begin with small goals that they can accomplish.
Take for example an athlete. Explain that today an athlete might run 42 kilometers, but they did not get up one morning and say “From now on I’m going to run 42 kilometers a day,” and they began to run and they did it. No, on the contrary, they first decided that they wanted to run, and it is likely that the first day they only ran a short distance; but day after day they continued to run, adding a little more distance every day, improving every day to reach the goal they set.
Our prayer lives are like that athlete. We start with a short prayer, but as we continue to pray every day, our prayer time will get longer. Now is the time for your children to begin a life of prayer that will lead to great victories.
When Jesus prayed he did not just tell God what he wanted. He also asked God to do in his life what God wanted to do. This is a good example of how to pray. Our children can honestly tell God how they feel and what they want. Prayer can help them accept the will of God, even when that is not what they want.
Christian children learn that they have a direct line of communication with God, and that they can talk to him at any time of the day and in any place. This lesson will help you reinforce what they have learned over time about prayer. It will also make it easier for new believers to understand and trust that God listens to us and responds when we pray.
biblical commentary
Read 1 Samuel 1:1-2:11, 18-21. The first and second books of Samuel tell the story of Israel, from the conquest of Joshua to its captivity in Babylon. They reveal to us an astonishing and holy God who works through his servants and circumstances to fulfill his purpose. In the same way, they proclaim the presence and faithfulness of God in the history of his people.
At the beginning of today’s story, Hannah lived with feelings of frustration, sadness and guilt. Being sterile in Hebrew society filled a woman with shame. Sons were important in preserving the name of the family, and for providing security for their parents in later adulthood. In addition, the husband had the legal right to divorce a sterile wife.
Hannah sought consolation and help from the only one that would listen and attend to her cry: God. She prayed humbly before him, expressing to him her frustrations and needs, and promised that if he gave her a son, she would dedicate him completely to his service. God heard this woman’s prayer and answered her request.
Samuel was probably three years old when Hannah took him to the temple to fulfill the promise she had made to the Lord. Surely it was difficult for her to leave her little son for whom she had waited so long, under the care of the priest Eli. However, once again God showed his faithfulness to Hannah by granting her to be the mother of five other children.
introduce the lesson
Puppet
For this activity you will need: A paper bag and two strips of construction paper 5 cm. x 12 cm for each student, pieces of colored construction paper, scissors, glue, pencils or colored markers.
Tell your students: “Our story today tells us about a woman named Hannah. Now we’re going to make puppets with the figure of Hannah so that everyone can participate in the Bible story.” Give each student a paper bag and ask them to fold the construction paper strips to form the arms, then cut four circles of construction paper to form the hands and feet. They should stick their arms inside the folds of the bag, and the hands and feet where they go. Give time for the children to draw their faces, hair and clothes.
Hannah’s baby
For this activity you will need a doll. Hold the doll in your arms and say: “The Bible story today is about a woman named Hannah who wanted to have a child, but could not. That’s why she was very sad.” Allow the children to hold the doll for a few moments and tell them that if they want to know what happened with Hannah, they should be alert during the Bible story.
teach the lesson
Hannah keeps her promise
Long ago there lived a man named Elkanah who had two wives. In some societies, it is permissible for a man to have two wives. One wife was called Peninnah and the other was Hannah. Hannah loved God, but she was very sad. She felt this way because she did not have any children, although she wanted them with all her heart. On the other hand, Peninnah did have children and always made fun of Hannah.
Each year Hannah and her husband Elkanah made a long journey to worship God and offer sacrifices. One day, while Elkanah was praying, Hannah began to cry. “Dear God, you govern over all things. Please do not forget me, listen to my plea,” Hannah prayed. “Please, allow me to have a child. If this happens, I promise you that I will give you my child to be your servant and I will love you forever.”
There was a priest who took care of the house of God. His name was Eli. He was sitting near Hannah and watching her. While she was praying, her lips moved, but her words were not heard because she was praying in her heart. Eli thought that she had drunk too much wine, so he went over to talk to her. “Leave the wine.”
“I have not drunk anything. I was praying to the Lord because I have a very big problem and I’m very sad,” Hannah replied.
Eli told her, “Go in peace and may the God of Israel grant you what you ask.”
When Hannah left the temple, she felt much better and wanted to eat. The next morning after worshiping God, Elkanah, Hannah and the rest of the family returned home. God heard Hannah’s prayer and later gave her a son whom she called Samuel. Hannah was very happy because God had answered her prayer.
When it was time to return to Shiloh to worship God and offer sacrifices, Hannah stayed at home with baby Samuel. She told Elkanah, “When Samuel is older, I will return to Shiloh with you and leave Samuel in the temple to serve the Lord as promised.” The following years passed quickly. Although Samuel was still small, Hannah was ready to return to Shiloh and fulfill the promise she had made to the Lord. So she took her little son to the house of God.
After Elkanah had delivered his sacrifices to the Lord, Hannah took Samuel to Eli. And she said, “I’m the woman who came to pray to the Lord some years ago, asking for this child. Now I have returned to fulfill my promise to God and to deliver Samuel to his service. As long as Samuel lives, he will belong to God.”
When Hannah and Elkanah returned home, Samuel remained in Shiloh and began helping Eli the priest in the temple work. But, although Samuel did not live in her house, Hannah still loved him, and every year she made him a new tunic and took it to him. Eli knew that God was pleased that Hannah had fulfilled her promise, so he gave her a special blessing. God was very kind to her and gave her three other sons and two daughters. When she saw Samuel serving in the temple, she always remembered that God had answered her prayer.
connect the lesson
Trifold
Ask a volunteer to distribute Student Activity Sheet #251-A and #251-B. Also, provide glue for them. Help the children follow the instructions to cut, glue and fold the finished sheet to form a trifold. Tell them to look at each scene. Say: “Notice how Hannah was faithful. You can also be a faithful.” Encourage them to take home their trifolds to share the lesson with their families and friends.
practice the memory verse
Form a circle and repeat the memory verse several times as they rotate. Then, allow volunteers to go to the center of the circle and say the memory verse alone. Help those who have difficulties with memorization.
wrap-up
Pray
Briefly review the important words of this unit and collect the offering. Pray for the offering and for the children to serve God faithfully this week.
Encourage
Encourage the students to be faithful and obedient to God during the week, praying and obeying their parents and teachers.
Invite
Remind the group that the next session is the last of this unit, so attendance is very important. Also, remind them to welcome new group members.
* 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.™