Two Christmas Prayers
By Martha Wong, North Cleveland Church of God deaconess and a volunteer at New Hope Pregnancy Care Center, Cleveland, Tennessee
Hannah prayed: “The Lord will judge all peoples to the ends of the earth, and He will give strength to His king, and exalt the power of His Anointed—His Christ” (1 Samuel 2:10, AMP).
Mary prayed: “His mercy—His compassion and kindness toward the miserable and afflicted—is on those who fear Him with godly reverence, from generation to generation and age to age” (Luke 1:50, AMP).
I am fascinated by biblical prayers—especially those prayed by these two women in the Bible. Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2:1-10 and Mary of Nazareth’s prayer in Luke 1:46-55 are closely related.
Both prayers exalt the Lord God of Israel and are filled with joy and victory—both personally and nationally. To understand and identify with the circumstances of these two women and their prayers, please read their stories in 1 Samuel 1-3 and Luke 1-2 respectively. Both prayers reflect on and predict the coming Messiah.
Incredibly, Hannah exulted in the Lord just after offering her recently weaned two- or three-year-old son, Samuel, leaving him in the care of Eli, the high priest. After years of barrenness, Hannah fulfilled her vow and gave her only child to serve the Lord in the tabernacle. In her words, “…as long as he lives he is given to the Lord. And they worshipped the Lord there” (1 Samuel 1:28, AMP).
It appears that the Lord filled her with such joy after this heart-wrenching sacrifice that she prayed a prayerso eloquent and so rapturous, some theologians call Hannah’s prayer, “Hannah’s Song.”
In fact, Hannah’s prayer was prophetic of the anointing of King David, who her son Samuel would, indeed, anoint in the future. Her prayer, however, also implied the coming of the Anointed One—the Christ—whose birth we celebrate this month.
Mary of Nazareth, a teen girl of humble birth and a devout virgin, was descended from King David through Nathan, another of David’s sons. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendent of King David through Solomon.
Chosen by God to be the mother of the Anointed One, Mary was probably in prayer when the angel, Gabriel, appeared to her and said, “Hail (Greetings), O favored one (endued with grace), the Lord is with you! …Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace (free, spontaneous, absolute favor and loving kindness) with God (Luke 1:28-30, AMP).
After receiving the astounding message that she would be the human vessel through which the Son of God would be born, Mary needed to spend time with a spiritually mature, like-minded person who would reverence and appreciate the profoundly wonderful work of God in her. That person would be her older relative, Elizabeth, whose miraculous pregnancy was spoken about also by the angel to assure Mary, “For with God nothing is ever impossible” (vs. 37, AMP).
Mary hurried off to visit Elizabeth, a true woman of God, who knew nothing about what had happened to Mary. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in Elizabeth’s womb! At that instant, Elizabeth and her pre-born child (John the Baptist) were filled with the Holy Spirit!
Elizabeth exclaimed, “Blessed is the Fruit of your womb! And how have I deserved that this honor should be granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? …And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of the things that were spoken to her from the Lord” (vv. 42-45, AMP).
In response, Mary rejoiced and prayed a Spirit-anointed prayer—much like Hannah’s prayer—revealing that she had learned the Scriptures well. It was so full of joy and victory; theologians call it, “Mary’s Song.”
My soul magnifies and extols the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked upon the low station and humiliation of His handmaiden. For behold, from now on all generations (of all ages) will call me blessed and declare me happy and to be envied! For He Who is almighty has done great things for me—and holy is His name (to be venerated in His purity, majesty and glory)!
And His mercy (His compassion and kindness toward the miserable and afflicted) is on those who fear Him with godly reverence, from generation to generation and age to age. He has shown strength and made might with His arm; He has scattered the proud and haughty in and by the imagination and purpose and designs of their hearts. He has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree. He has filled and satisfied the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty-handed (without a gift). He has laid hold on His servant Israel (to help him, to espouse his cause), in remembrance of His mercy, even as He promised to our forefathers, to Abraham and to his descendants forever” (vs.46-55).
What a prayer! What a song! And this from a young teen girl! Her prayer reflects not only Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel, but also the promises of Micah 7:20, and Genesis 17:7; 18:18; and 22:17, 18.
Can you imagine the conversations and bonding that must have occurred between the older mentor and the younger mentored during the three months Mary remained with Elizabeth? I imagine Mary literally “soaked up” spiritual strength and wisdom from Elizabeth’s encouragement to face the uncertain days ahead of her:
- to face her immediate family with her physical signs of pregnancy
- to face Joseph with his inevitable disappointment and misunderstanding
- to face disgrace, possible divorce or—at worst—stoning
- to face giving up her “dream” wedding for—at best—a “quiet ceremony”
- to face uncertainty about the actual “birthing” of the Son of God
- to face blatant rejection from her friends and society
- to face an unknown future, which would include:
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- enduring the false accusations of “fornication”
- traveling to far-away Bethlehem in her last stages of pregnancy
- giving birth to the Son of God in a stable
- experiencing the joy of the angels’ announcement and the shepherds’ story
- wondering at Simeon’s warning that a “sword would pierce her soul”
- being awe-struck by the visit of wise men and their gifts
- fleeing Bethlehem by night to escape Herod’s sword
- grieving the slaughter of male children two years old and under in Bethlehem because of her Child
- living in Egypt until the death of Herod the Great
- returning to Nazareth because of the warning about the Judean ruler, Archelaus
How did Mary cope with the incredible difficulties that came her way as the mother of the Son of God? (The above list was only the beginning!)
We do not worship Mary or believe that we can access her Son through appealing to her for help. She, like us, needed a Savior. We do, however, admire and appreciate the tremendous faith and trust in God and personal sacrifices she made in giving birth to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
How did Mary endure all of this—especially watching her Son die on a cross for her—and our—sins?
We know the answer to that question. We can see from “Mary’s Song” that she knew the Scriptures, she believed God‘s Word, and she humbly submitted to God’s will:
Behold I am the handmaiden of the Lord; let it be done to me according to what you have said (vs. 38, AMP).
After giving birth to Jesus Christ, Mary bore four more sons and at least two daughters, becoming a mother of seven (or more) children (see Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Also, when Christ was in His teen years or during His twenties, Joseph, Jesus’ devoted foster father, apparently died. Joseph’s name is not mentioned in Scripture after Jesus’ twelfth year, leaving Mary an apparent widow. Since Jesus was known as the Carpenter of Nazareth, it seems likely, being her eldest Child, that He became her main support until He reached the age of 30, when He began His itinerant ministry.
What sustained Mary through all of these challenges and responsibilities? Where did she receive wisdom and strength? She had learned to devote herself to the Word of God and to PRAYER from her girlhood. Undoubtedly, daily PRAYER for her daily living was what saw her through every joy, pain, and loss.
Hannah and Mary’s prayers are worth our time and study during this busy Advent Season. Let us thank God for these two women who knew how to PRAY through the difficulties of life, TRUST, ACCEPT, and OBEY the will of God, and live with VICTORY over each and every circumstance!
P.S.: I could also use an “Elizabeth” as my PRAYER mentor—couldn't you?
