Growing Through Obstacles

April 29, 2026 / by Dr. Jeff VanGoethem

“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… I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 1 Sam. 1:15-16

Poor Hannah was in a very bad way. She was barren. Her husband loved her, but in the practical and unfortunate context of the day had taken a second wife, in order to secure offspring. Predictably, the second wife and her children only served to increase Hannah’s torment.

In the culture of that time, her life as a woman could not have been much worse. On the family’s annual trip to the Tabernacle in Shiloh she determined that she would meet with God. As she prayed before the tabernacle, her emotions were so overpowering that Eli, the supervising priest, thought she was intoxicated.

She explained herself by saying that she was “pouring out” her soul before the Lord. Try visualizing something being poured out. All the contents right from the bottom to the top spilled out to the last drop. This is the image the Bible uses more than once to depict intense and honest praying.

Hannah shows us an important aspect of prayer and its role in growing through painful obstacles. We also find it elsewhere in scripture: Nehemiah, when he heard the news of Jerusalem, David after his season of sin, Samuel, when he heard the news of Saul’s failure, and even Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Pouring out the trouble, anxiety, difficulty, and pain that we find deep in our souls.

I have learned when I am anxious, troubled, agitated, discouraged, and pained that I must meet with God. And I must find a way to tell him everything I have in my soul, everything I know about myself and my situation, lest these troubled feelings linger and prevail and I find myself stuck spiritually.

It is hard not to get stuck spiritually when we are overwhelmed by our troubles. We have to grow through those problems, which can be obstacles to spiritual growth. We have to find God. We have to obtain His help (Heb. 4:14-16). One of the keys is to “pour out our souls” to Him in honest, transparent praying.

Have you ever been stuck spiritually? Not growing? Not joyful? Not hopeful? Troubled in mind and overwhelmed with problems? How do we get growing again? How do we get through such seasons?

Have you tried a prolonged season of prayer alone with God in which you tell God everything you know about yourself and your troubles?

Some seasons of honest praying start where you really are and go from there, digging deep down into the shadows and dark crevices of our souls.

Try telling God everything you know about yourself and everything you know about Him. Lavish time on Him. Often we get a sense that God has graciously heard our prayers. Hope comes. God’s peace comes. And we begin again to wait on Him and we are able to start growing again.

Pastor Jeff VanGoethem serves as the Associate Pastor of Spiritual Development and Missions at East White Oak. He is married to Karen. He loves the Packers, his four daughters and his five grandchildren. (Not in that order.)