6-8. How can an unfulfilled desire to have children cause distress?

⁶ A different sort of tribulation confronts some married couples. They desperately want children but remain childless. When the wife does not become pregnant, she may feel much emotional distress. Neither marriage nor childbearing guarantees freedom from cares, yet an unfulfilled desire for children is in its own way a ‘tribulation in the flesh.’ (Prov. 13:12) In Bible times, barrenness often carried a stigma. Rachel, Jacob’s wife, expressed anguish at seeing her sister have children. (Gen. 30:1, 2) Missionaries serving in lands where it is customary to have large families are often asked why they do not have children. Despite their logical and tactful explanation, the reaction may be, “Oh, we will pray for you!”

⁷ Or consider the case of a sister in England who very much wanted a child but whose hopes in that regard had not been fulfilled. Then she entered the change of life. She admitted that she felt devastated, for she realized that her desire would not be satisfied in this system of things. She and her husband decided to adopt a child. Nonetheless, she said: “I still went through a sort of grieving process. I knew that adoption would not be exactly the same as giving birth to my own child.”

10. How did Hannah find relief from distress? (See opening picture.)

¹⁰ Hannah, a beloved wife of Elkanah, faced a particular trial. She remained barren while Elkanah’s other wife, Peninnah, produced offspring. (Read 1 Samuel 1:4-7.) Hannah was taunted by Peninnah “year after year.” That caused Hannah great anguish and distress. She sought relief by taking the matter to Jehovah in prayer. Indeed, “she prayed for a long time before Jehovah.” Did she expect Jehovah to grant her request? She must have hoped so. In any event, “her face was no longer downcast.” (1 Sam. 1:12, 17, 18) She trusted that Jehovah would either put an end to her barrenness or fill the lack in some other way.

11. How can prayer provide us with comfort?

¹¹ Trials and tribulations will continue as long as we are imperfect and are in this system under Satan’s control. (1 John 5:19) How good it is to know, though, that Jehovah is “the God of all comfort”! One way that we can receive help to deal with our personal trials or tribulations is through prayer. Hannah poured out her heart to Jehovah. Similarly, in the face of tribulation, we need to do more than simply mention to Jehovah how we feel. We need to supplicate him, yes, to convey our feelings by praying intensely from the heart.​—Phil. 4:6, 7.

12. What helped the widow Anna to find joy?

¹² Even if we feel a deep void in our life​—whether from childlessness or from the death of a loved one—​we can still gain comfort. In Jesus’ day, the prophetess Anna lost her husband after only seven years of marriage. The Bible account makes no mention of any children. What was Anna still doing at 84 years of age? Luke 2:37 states: “She was never missing from the temple, rendering sacred service night and day with fasting and supplications.” Yes, Anna found comfort as well as joy in worshipping Jehovah.