Finding Faith in the Silence of Waiting
Summary
Waiting is one of the hardest things we face, especially when it comes to the deep desires and prayers of our hearts. When answers are delayed, uncertainty can feel overwhelming, and God’s silence can seem deafening. In those moments, doubts creep in—wondering if God is listening, if we’ve done something wrong, or if we’re simply not seen. Yet, the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel offers a powerful reminder that God is present and at work, even in the silence.
Hannah’s life was marked by longing and pain. In a culture where a woman’s value was tied to having children, her barrenness brought shame and sorrow. Year after year, she endured taunts and misunderstanding, even from those closest to her. Yet, Hannah’s response was not to hide her pain or to offer polite, tidy prayers. Instead, she poured out her soul to God with raw honesty, bringing her anguish and deepest desires before Him. Even when nothing seemed to change, she persisted in prayer.
What is remarkable is that Hannah found peace before her circumstances changed. After her encounter with Eli, she left the temple no longer sad, even though she had no guarantee of an answer. Her faith was not in a specific outcome, but in the God who hears, remembers, and acts in His time. God’s “delay” was not neglect, but a time of preparation—both for Hannah and for the nation of Israel, who needed Samuel’s leadership.
God’s silence is not absence. In the waiting, He is forming, refining, and transforming us. The delays we experience are not wasted; they are opportunities for God to deepen our trust and shape us for what lies ahead. Like Hannah, we are invited to bring our unfiltered selves to God, to persist in prayer, and to trust that He is working, even when we cannot see it. The challenge is to let the waiting shape our faith, not steal it, and to remember that God’s answers may look different than we expect, but they are always for our good and His glory.
Key Takeaways
- God’s Silence Is Not Absence
When God seems silent, it is easy to assume He is distant or unconcerned. Yet, throughout Scripture, God’s silence is often a space where He is deeply at work—preparing, refining, and shaping us for what is to come. The absence of immediate answers does not mean the absence of God’s presence or care. [32:48]
- Honest Prayer Invites Transformation
Hannah’s story shows that God welcomes our raw, unfiltered prayers. She did not hold back her anguish or try to impress with polished words; she poured out her soul in deep distress. It is in this place of honesty that God meets us, and often, the greatest transformation happens within us before anything changes around us. [41:19]
- Peace Can Precede the Promise
Remarkably, Hannah found peace before her circumstances changed. She left her time of prayer with renewed trust, even without a guarantee of an answer. This demonstrates that God’s work in us—granting peace and trust—can be the true miracle, sometimes even more profound than the answer we seek. [48:19]
- God’s Delays Are Opportunities for Growth
We often want God to answer immediately, but His timing is purposeful. Delays are not wasted time; they are seasons where God sanctifies, refines, and prepares us for what He has planned. The waiting is an invitation to deeper faith and trust, allowing God to shape us into who He needs us to be. [55:29]
- Persist in Prayer and Let God Define the Outcome
When answers are slow in coming, the temptation is to give up or believe the lie that God does not care. Hannah’s persistence encourages us to keep bringing our hearts to God, trusting that He hears, remembers, and will answer in His way and time. Let the delay shape your faith, not define it, and trust that God’s “yes” may look different, but it will always be for your good. [58:21]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[02:30] - Opening Prayer
[08:30] - Gathering and Introduction
[26:33] - The Challenge of Waiting
[28:20] - Our Reactions to Uncertainty
[29:32] - When God’s Silence Feels Personal
[30:20] - Wrestling with Unanswered Prayer
[31:37] - Doubts in the Silence
[32:48] - Rethinking God’s Silence
[40:40] - Hannah’s Vow and Honest Prayer
[41:19] - Eli’s Response and Hannah’s Peace
[48:19] - The Miracle of Inner Transformation
[49:22] - Entrusting Anguish to God
[51:23] - God Remembers and Acts
[55:29] - God’s Delays and Our Growth
[58:21] - Letting Waiting Shape Our Faith
[59:55] - Invitation to Honest Prayer
[01:02:19] - Closing Prayers and Benediction
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: “God in the Waiting – The Story of Hannah”
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### Bible Reading
1 Samuel 1:1–20 (ESV)
> 1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah... 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
> ...
> 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
> ...
> 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”
> 18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
> 19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
> 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
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### Observation Questions
1. What emotions and actions do we see in Hannah as she brings her pain to God in prayer? ([40:40])
2. How does Hannah’s demeanor change after her conversation with Eli, even before her circumstances change? ([41:19])
3. According to the passage, what does it mean when it says “the Lord remembered her”? ([51:23])
4. What role do the people around Hannah (Elkanah, Peninnah, Eli) play in her story? ([44:37])
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why might God allow seasons of silence or delay in answering prayer, based on Hannah’s story? ([55:29])
2. What does Hannah’s example teach about the kind of prayers God welcomes? ([40:40])
3. How does finding peace before the answer comes challenge our usual expectations of how God works? ([48:19])
4. In what ways does God’s “delay” serve a greater purpose, both for Hannah and for the nation of Israel? ([51:23])
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### Application Questions
1. Think of a time when you felt like God was silent or slow to answer. How did you respond? Did you let the waiting shape your faith, or did it make you want to give up? ([58:21])
2. Are there areas in your life right now where you are waiting for God to act? What would it look like to bring your honest, unfiltered prayers to God about these things? ([40:40])
3. Hannah found peace before her circumstances changed. Is there a situation in your life where you need to ask God for peace, even before you see an answer? What would it look like to trust Him in the waiting? ([48:19])
4. When you experience God’s silence, do you tend to assume He is absent or uncaring? How can you remind yourself that God’s silence is not the same as His absence? ([32:48])
5. What practical steps can you take this week to persist in prayer, even when you feel discouraged or unheard? ([56:41])
6. Are there people around you who are in a season of waiting or pain? How can you come alongside them and encourage them, as Eli eventually did for Hannah? ([50:05])
7. God’s answer to Hannah was different and bigger than she could have imagined—not just a son, but a leader for Israel. Are you open to God answering your prayers in a way that looks different than you expect? How can you prepare your heart for that possibility? ([57:37])
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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Invite the group to spend a few moments in silent or honest prayer, bringing their real selves before God, just as Hannah did. Encourage them to trust that God hears, remembers, and is at work—even in the waiting.
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