Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had ever had a message from the Lord before. So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. And the Lord came and called as before, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel replied, “Speak, your servant is listening.”
1 Samuel 3:7-10 (NLT)
Have you ever spent time with someone who’s idea of conversation is doing all the talking? You can feel like the only time they listen to you or ask for your opinion is to set up the thing they want to say next (FULL DISCLOSURE: I am sure that I am that person who won’t stop talking sometimes). When I am in a conversation like that, I feel like an adult in a Charlie Brown cartoon. Whenever I am talking, all they hear is, “Wawawawawawawaa….” Maybe that’s why James says in the New Testament that we should be, “quick to listen and slow to speak” (James 1:19). Often, I am so eager to say what I want to say that I don’t always hear what I need to hear.
I think that same principle carries over into prayer. Prayer is a conversation with God, but we often do most of the talking in that conversation. We share our questions, our needs, or wants, even our complaints, but how often do you or I LISTEN when we pray? Answering for myself, I will say, “not enough.” In 1 Samuel 3, Samuel was a young man who would eventually become the spiritual leader of Israel. God wanted to speak to him and he wasn’t sure what to do. So he followed some good advice from his mentor, Eli, and simply said, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” What a great way to approach God! What would it look like if the next time you prayed, you focused on listening before you began speaking? Or if you shared your heart with God and then waited, expecting Him to answer you? Today, when you pray, try James’ advice: be quick to listen and slow to speak. Allow God to give you the divine direction you need.
When can you set aside some time to be quiet and say to God, “Speak, your servant is listening?”