The story of Hannah, Samuel’s mother, is very instructive. She was a prophetic mother who still speak to us today because of who she was and what she did. We need a lot of prophetic mothers like Hannah!

She was dearly beloved by her husband Elkanah, though the LORD had closed her womb, and Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife, used to irritate and provoke Hannah grievously because of her barrenness.

At that, Hannah gathered strength and completely filled with grief she prayed to the LORD of hosts (Sebaot) and cried out bitterly to him.

She made a promise that she would consecrate the boy she prayed for to the LORD for life. He was to be Nazirite (see Numbers 6). This was why he never was to taste wine and strong drink, so that the bodily sensation of drinking would not affect or overwhelm his thoughts which were to be focused on serving the LORD. He was not to make himself unclean by touching a dead person, for he was to serve only the Living One. He was to let his hair grow long and be untrimmed as a public and visible sign that he was totally and solely committed to the LORD. He was thus separated from all things worldly to better serve God willingly and wholeheartedly—with his entire life.

When the boy had been weaned, at the age of three according to Hebrew custom, Hannah brought him to the House of God to give him to the LORD as she had promised. The words she used on this occasion testify about her prophetic strength. ‘This is the son I asked for, and the LORD gave me just what I asked for. Now I am giving him back to the LORD, and he will be the LORD’s servant for as long as he lives. It was for the LORD’s sake that I prayed for him’ (1:27-28). [Translator comment: The Norwegian Bible (NO1978) includes this aspect of Hannah praying for Samuel for God’s sake which I have not been able to find in ESV, MKJV, KJV, or any modern translation like CEV, MSG, NLT, not even in AMP] Her husband was in agreement with her decision to give the boy Samuel to the LORD for his entire lifetime. He also said something very interesting, ‘May only the LORD establish his word!’ (1:23). This is a clear indication that there had been a prophetic word about Samuel, perhaps even before he was born (as the rabbinate tradition says, ‘Bath-kol got up and said, “there will come a righteous one, his name will be Samuel.” Then all the mothers named their sons Samuel, but as they saw their lives they said, “this is not Samuel.” However, when this one was born they said, “this one is the right Samuel”, and this is what the Scripture means when it says, “The LORD confirmed his word that Samuel must be the righteous one.” Rashi’)

If we cannot accept this rabbinate explanation, the statement, ‘may the LORD establish his word’ must mean: ‘may the LORD complete what he has planned for him and promised him from his birth.’

Clearly Hannah had, as a prophetic mother, received a son after ardent prayer where she had heard from God about the future of that son. Perhaps she knew the prophesy of Bath-kol about Samuel and thus prayed that she would be the mother of the righteous one. Through her prophetic insight she understood the times she was living in and realized that there had to be a change of leadership because the sons of Eli were both godless and worthless, incapable of leading the people of God. She prayed for a son who should serve the purposes of God in his generation. She knew that if no such man came, the people of God would be ruined and suppressed by their enemies and the LORD’s name would be disgraced.

We need lots of prophetic mothers like Hannah who can help bring about a prophetic people who serve God’s plan wholeheartedly in their lifetimes. Prophetic mothers are ready to make large sacrifices to see the Kingdom of God advance. Prophetic mothers pray unselfish prayers. Prophetic mothers pray for spiritual sons for God’s sake.