Pouring Out Your Soul To God

“But Hannah answered and said, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.’” (1 Samuel 1:15)
                Have you ever “borne your soul” to someone else?  Have you ever been so overcome with emotion that you desperately needed to get some things off your chest?  Maybe you sat with a friend and cried and prayed and cried some more.  Maybe you had a heart to heart conversation with your significant other.  Sometimes people pour out their soul when they’re trying to unload some hurt from their past.  Those times are often very difficult, but they can also be very cathartic.
 
                Today’s verse is taken from the life of a woman named Hannah.  She was married to a man named Elkanah who had two wives.  His first wife was able to have children, but sadly Hannah’s womb had remained closed.  Year after year they would make their way to the tabernacle to worship at Shiloh.  On one occasion, Hannah could no longer take the misery, so she decided to go to the tabernacle by herself.  From there, she sat at the door and poured her soul out to the Lord.
                Hannah was so overcome with emotion that the High Priest (Eli) thought she was intoxicated.  He said, “How long will you be drunk?  Put your wine away from you!”  Hannah responded with the beautiful words of today’s verse.  Upon hearing her heart, Eli prayed that God would grant her petition for a child, and about a year later He did.  Her child (Samuel) became a great man of God, and it all started with a woman’s prayer.  Maybe you should take time to pour out your soul to God today.

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