The Prayer That Cost Everything

1 Samuel 1–2:36 | Jeremiah 7:12–14 | Luke 1:46–55

I once prayed a prayer so bold, it scared me.

It wasn’t a prosperity prayer or a desperate bargain. It was a surrender prayer. The kind where you offer up something dear to your heart and whisper, “God, even if You never give this back… I’ll trust You.”

Maybe you’ve been there.
Praying not just for the blessing, but for the strength to lay it down.
Asking not just for the answer, but for the faith to worship while you wait.

That’s the kind of prayer Hannah prayed.

In 1 Samuel 1, we meet Hannah, a woman deeply grieved by infertility. She’s misunderstood by her husband, accused of drunkenness by the priest, and mocked by those around her. And yet, she prays. Boldly. Honestly. Tearfully.

She doesn’t make a scene; she makes a vow.
She asks God for a son… and promises to give him back.

God answers. Samuel is born. But true to her word, Hannah returns to the temple and releases her long-awaited son to the Lord.

And how does she respond? With a song.
1 Samuel 2 records her praise—a powerful declaration of God’s justice, sovereignty, and mercy.

Generations later, Mary’s song in Luke 1 echoes Hannah’s words.
Two women. Two miracle babies. Two hearts that magnify the Lord.

Even in the midst of uncertainty.
Even when surrender was required.
Even when it cost everything.

And yet, while these two women offer songs of worship, Jeremiah 7 reveals a contrasting picture: people who praised God with their lips while their hearts wandered. They went through religious motions but forgot what real worship looked like: reverence, obedience, and awe.

Hannah and Mary worshiped with their lives.
Israel worshiped with routine.

One surrendered.
The other strayed.

True worship isn’t found in what you sing—it’s found in what you surrender.
It’s trusting God enough to hand Him the very thing you begged Him for.
It’s praising Him not just when prayers are answered—but when they’re costly.

What is God asking you to release—out of worship, not fear?
Bring it to Him honestly. Like Hannah. Like Mary. Open your hands and let your heart sing, “Be it unto me according to Your Word.”

Lord,
I want to worship You with more than words.
Give me the strength to surrender what I’ve held too tightly.
Whether You give or take away, let my soul still magnify You.
Make my life a song of praise.
Amen.