DEVOTION BY Angela McCoun POSTED 7/2/2026 6:00:01 AM
Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.”
1 Samual 2:1 NIV
Have you ever thought about all the moments in a lifetime? I wonder how many moments we waste on things we can’t control—empty-handed moments. Instead of allowing the Lord to fill those moments, we often find ourselves circling around, wondering how things will turn out.
In 1 Samuel 2, we see the struggling moments in another person’s life (1 Samual 2:1). Hanna was desperate for a son, but she couldn’t have children. She poured out her heart to God, praying in desperation. The Bible says she prayed in deep anguish, refusing to eat, even after her husband tried to console her.
The Lord gave Hannah a son, and she named him Samuel. He was a great man of faith, born in response to Hanna’s prayers. Hanna’s heart rejoiced because God heard her prayer. She then vowed to give her son back to the Lord. But she had to reach that point of believing God would answer her prayer.
We, too, must reach that point when we know God can answer us. This may require us to become desperate, even to the point of emptying ourselves so that the Lord can do what He wants. We must believe that when we lay those burdens down, He takes them. Empty hands allow the Lord to be present to work in those moments.
In his book Practicing His Presence, Brother Lawrence says, “This concentration upon God is strenuous, but everything else has ceased to be so. I think more clearly, I forget less frequently. Things which I did with a strain before, I now do easily and with no effort whatsoever. I worry about nothing and lose no sleep.”
Make sure you have moments when you’re empty-handed, so you can see what God wants to show you.
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Angela McCoun is an encourager and writer. She is passionate about sharing the love of Jesus. She is a mom, wife, retired preschool teacher, and devotional writer. She shares her journey of the faithfulness of God amid the unknown. She believes we are not meant to live life alone. Learning the power of God’s Word and how we can encourage one another through prayer is the reason she writes and shares. Her call to write came after a year of journaling with the Lord and after a diagnosis of MS. It was in that place of uncertainty that God met her with all her questions and concerns. You can follow her on Facebook at “Flourish in the Journey.” You can connect with her at https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1NZjkDw6kp/?mibextid=wwXIfr.