Speak, God. I'm Ready to Listen!
Intentionally Listening for the Voice of God in Your Life
Speak, God. I'm Ready to Listen!
Is God trying to speak to you, but the noise of life drowns out His voice? Or do you not realize that He is speaking to you? Are you not expecting God to speak to you, so you are not tuned into Him spiritually?
Is it possible you do not want God to speak to you? Or have you been incorrectly taught that God does not speak to you?
You may be a Christian, yet hearing the voice of God—not audibly but through your heart, soul, mind, and strength—seems unusual. Even strange. Far beyond your understanding of God. Even not something you were seeking.
You may have sought God only during trials and tribulations. Therefore, you do not know what it means for God to speak into your life.
I suggest that God’s Holy Spirit seeks to speak into your life. Are you listening?
You might be surprised—even—overjoyed if you humbly said, “Speak God. I’m your servant, ready to listen!”
With a simple or child-like faith, recall the story of Samuel.
God Calls the Boy Samuel
The third chapter of the book of First Samuel is the story of God speaking to Samuel, and Samuel did not know how to respond.
Here is this story as interpreted in The Message by Eugene Peterson
3 1-3 The boy Samuel was serving God under Eli’s direction. This was at a time when the revelation of God was rarely heard or seen.
One night Eli was sound asleep (his eyesight was very bad—he could hardly see). It was well before dawn; the sanctuary lamp was still burning. Samuel was still in bed in the Temple of God, where the Chest of God rested.
4-5 Then God called out, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Yes? I’m here.” Then he ran to Eli saying, “I heard you call. Here I am.”
Eli said, “I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.” And so he did.
6-7 God called again, “Samuel, Samuel!”
Samuel got up and went to Eli, “I heard you call. Here I am.”
Again Eli said, “Son, I didn’t call you. Go back to bed.”
(This all happened before Samuel knew God for himself. It was before the revelation of God had been given to him personally.)
8-9 God called again, “Samuel!”—the third time! Yet again Samuel got up and went to Eli, “Yes? I heard you call me. Here I am.”
That’s when it dawned on Eli that God was calling the boy. So Eli directed Samuel, “Go back and lie down. If the voice calls again, say, ‘Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.’” Samuel returned to his bed.
10 Then God came and stood before him exactly as before, calling out, “Samuel! Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak. I’m your servant, ready to listen.”
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H, Peterson