Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Aurebach ztl, one of the leading rabbinical authorities of the last generation explained the power of our prayers. The Talmud learns the various laws of prayer from Chana who was a barren woman and suffered for many years from the fact that she could not have a child. We read her story in the Haftarah on Rosh Hashana because the talmud tells us that on Rosh Hashana her prayers were answered. R' Aurebach questioned though why from all places does the Talmud learn the laws of prayer from this episode.

In the prayer, Chana asks that G-d should give her an "offspring of men". The talmud explains that she was asking that her son should be like "the men" a reference to Moshe and Aharon, two of the greatest personalities in our history. How could it be that she is longing for children and when she asks G-d she doesn't suffice to request a healthy baby etc., no, Chana asks that she should have a son that should be one of the greatest men in our history, Shmuel Hanavi.

R'Shlomo Zalman said that this is the exact reason we learn from Chana, because it shows us the power of our prayers, we can ask G-d for the most, in our prayers we don't have to settle for second best. G-d is Infinite and His Ability is infinite and He has given us the opportunity to beseech Him for everything.

Shabbat Shalom,

Heath