Good morning. Today, I would like to have us go well back into God’s history with His people to the book of 1st Samuel. Samuel was a miracle baby. His mother, Hannah, could not have children, but God intervened. As she had promised, Hannah dedicated her baby boy to the Lord, and at an early age he was placed with the elderly priest, Eli.
God came to little Samuel, awakening him from his sleep, but Samuel didn’t understand. In 1 Samuel 3:7 we read Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. God was persistent with His calling, and Eli figured out what was happening. His instruction to Samuel was simple: “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 1 Samuel 3:9
When called again, the boy knew what to say: Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”1 Samuel 3:10
When we come to the Lord in prayer, we must know that prayer is far more than our asking things of God. Prayer is even greater than our thanks and praise to God.
Prayer is also a matter of listening. How much greater would our prayer lives be if we had the heart of the little boy named Samuel and would say, “Speak, for your servant is listening”?
Will we listen in time of peace? Will we listen in times of pain? Will we listen in times of triumph? Will we listen in times of tragedy? Will we listen when we lift prayers of praise? Will we listen when our prayers plead for help?
Do we think to hear Him at the sunrise? Do we think to hear Him in the darkness?
Please pray diligently today. But please considering praying with the words given to Samuel by his mentor Eli, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Vern