Praying Through Your Barrenness

"She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly." - 1 Samuel 1:10

When reading the story of Hannah (in 1 Samuel 1-2), we see a story of deep pain and incredible faith. She desperately wanted a child, but year after year, her prayers seemed to go unanswered. In her culture, barrenness wasn’t just a personal struggle. It was a source of shame and rejection. Others ridiculed her, and her sorrow was so heavy that she lost her appetite and couldn’t find peace.
 
But here’s what’s powerful about Hannah’s story; she didn’t let her pain keep her from praying. She didn’t hide her brokenness from God. Instead, she took her bitterness, her frustration, and her hurt straight to Him. In her distress, she poured her heart out before the Lord.
 
But barrenness doesn’t always look like Hannah’s situation. Maybe for you, it’s not a struggle with fertility but an emptiness in another area of life. Maybe you’ve been working hard but still feel stuck financially, like no matter what you do, you can’t seem to catch a break. Maybe you’re battling through a season of feeling spiritually dry, like your prayers hit the ceiling and fall back down unanswered.
 
Barrenness can be any part of your life that feels empty, unproductive, or hopeless. But Hannah shows us that our brokenness doesn’t have to keep us from praying. In fact, it’s often when we’re at our lowest that we find God’s strength is the greatest.
 
Sometimes we try to handle things on our own, thinking we’ve got it all under control. But God moves most powerfully when we finally admit we can’t do it by ourselves. When we reach the end of our own strength, we make room for God to show up in ways we never expected.
Hannah’s story reminds us that when you’re hurting, you don’t have to hide your pain from God. Take it to Him. Lay it at His feet. Because it’s when you’re willing to say, “Lord, I need you,” that He begins to move in your life in powerful ways.
 
Whatever your barrenness looks like today, choose to pray through it. God hears you, and He’s more than able to bring life and hope to the places that feel empty.