When God spoke to the little boy Samuel, Samuel ran to Eli the priest (his guardian) and said, “Here I am. You called me?”
Eli said no.
God spoke again, and again Samuel left his bed and ran to Eli.
Eli said “it was not me.”
“Now Samuel had not yet experienced the Lord, because the Word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. God spoke a third time, and a third time Samuel ran to Eli. ‘Here I am. You called me.’ And Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy.” 1 Samuel 3:4-8.
So Eli told Samuel to go back to bed, and what to say if the voice spoke again.
“The Lord came, and stood there, and called out to Samuel as before, ‘Samuel, Samuel!’
Samuel responded, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening’” 1 Samuel 3:10.
When Samuel gave that answer, God spoke, warning Samuel of judgment to come that would bring death to Eli’s two sons, the wicked priests who were bringing shame to God’s temple. After that, “Samuel grew and the Lord was with him.” Another verse says, “Samuel grew in stature and in favor with the Lord and with men,” a verse that should remind you of the way Jesus was described as a young man.
Have you ever “experienced the Lord,” as described in verse 4, above? If not, pray the prayer of Samuel: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” Spend time with Him. Spend time in prayer. Spend time listening to Him. If you don’t believe God will speak to you, He probably will not. But pray about it. Invite Him to speak. Come to Him with your needs and your questions, and even your doubts. Tell Him all about it. Then invite Him to answer.
Pray: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
ΑΩ
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