You may have heard the phrase before that goes something like, “there is power in a praying woman”. Phrases like this are rather common and sound a bit like “Christian-ese” (noun: a language spoken within Christian circles which is foreign, irrelevant or even offensive to non-Christians). It’s the kind of slogan which gets printed on the back of t-shirts or on bumper stickers, like “Jesus loves you” or “Let go and let God” or “No Jesus, no peace; know Jesus, know peace”. These are the kind of statements which get watered down with overuse and are quickly disregarded as ingenuine and cliché by those who read them—even Christians. Especially Christians!
It is easy as a Christian to disregard sayings you have heard a million times before, or regard them as wishy-washy statements designed to make you “feel good” without communicating anything of importance. But the simple truth is there really is power in a praying woman! Or should I say . . . there is power BEHIND a praying woman.
Hannah is one of the most notable women of prayer in the Bible whose humble prayers of anguish and heartbreak were met with answers from God that went over and above all that she asked for. You see, Hannah was a barren woman who was bullied by her husband’s other wife for not being able to bear a child. All she wanted—her greatest heart’s desire—was to have a child and put an end to her anguish. She poured out her heart and soul to the Lord, praying out of great anguish and grief that God might enable her to have a child (1 Samuel 1:15,16).
It is no coincidence that the book of 1 Samuel starts—not with the word of a prophet or announcement of a king—but with the prayer of a faithful and contrite woman. Hannah’s prayers demonstrated an openness and willingness to be a vessel of God’s deliverance and power in a context of corruption and spiritual apathy. Not only did God hear Hannah’s heartfelt prayer by promising through Eli to grant her request, but He went above and beyond anything she could have imagined. Through Hannah’s prayers, God changed the course of history by giving Hannah a child—Samuel—who would go on to restore Israel’s faith as a prophet.
You see, there is power behind a praying woman—not because of anything she asks for, but because of the One who hears her. The simple act of faith in prayer invites God to work through our lives in collaboration with us. As Gift Gugu Mona once said, “The power of a praying woman does not depend on what she can do with her own hands, but in the mighty Hand of God. The strength of a praying woman is unfathomable, her beauty is undeniable and her spirit is uncrushable.”
Prayer is perhaps the greatest weapon and tool at our disposal as Christians, and yet how often do we neglect it! We would rather wile away our precious time with leisure and entertainment than spend a few moments in communion with God, the source of our strength, support and comfort—the One who can move mountains, part seas and bring the dead back to life.
It is a great privilege to pour out our hearts to God, and to know that He will always hear our prayers (1 John 5:14). What opportunities, what miracles, what power might we see in the world if we were to be a people of prayer?
Olivia Fairfax is an editorial assistant for Adventist Record.
