1Sa 1:14-15, 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? … 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.”
Hannah wrestling with barrenness resolved in her heart to seek God for a son. In those days, people engaged the priests and prophets to make petitions on their behalf. Not with Hannah, at the temple she did not go to Eli the priest to pray for her, she went straight to the Lord herself. Eli observed her supposing she was drunk. The moment he understood her troubled spirit, her burden became his burden too.
The burden for your situations begins with you before you are surrounded by others. James’ first order of encouragement is this, “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray…” (Jas 5:13). This is how we should approach prayers. It is so easy to dump our burdens on priests, pastors, friends, families when we have not labored ourselves in prayers. I believe God sometimes allows the challenges to come in order that He may hear from us in prayers, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him …”(2Chr 16:9).