Are You Listening?

The wonderful thing about God’s word is that, every day, we can open the door of any page and listen with our spiritual ears to hear the voice of our Father. From the first line in the Bible to the last, God speaks.

At a time when the word of the Lord was rare, a young apprentice named Samuel was ministering in the temple under the direction of the priest Eli. One night he heard a voice calling to him, but he didn’t recognise that it was God. Even though he was being mentored in the temple, the Scriptures tell us that Samuel did not yet know the Lord, as the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him (Verse 7).

The older priest taught Samuel a simple but effective prayer that night; “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (Verse 9). He was instructed to go back and lie down and pray and wait. Samuel listened and was rewarded for his obedience. He eventually matured to become a mighty prophet who faithfully led God’s people for many years. Obedience and maturity are choices we make daily.

The most amazing thing about today’s Scripture is that God was standing right there with Samuel. His spirit heard what his eyes could not see. There is no shame in asking how to pray. God has left His word for us and put His Holy Spirit in us so we can learn to listen and discern the voice and instruction of our good Father each day. Whether we are a brand new believer or have known Jesus for many years, having a teachable spirit enables us to reach for unity in the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, where we become mature, to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

God’s word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) which means we can take something written in the Bible a thousand years ago and apply it to our prayer life today and it will still be effective. Isaiah 55:11 paints a powerful picture of God’s word going forth from His mouth accomplishing what He desires and achieving the purpose for which He sent it. There is no greater thing to pray back to God than His perfect word.

Prayer: Father, thank You for Your word, which is a deep well that I can drink from every day to help me pray. I am encouraged knowing that You are always near and I welcome You to speak through Your word as You teach me how to pray today. Your servant is listening, in Jesus’ name. Amen.