Oh! give me Samuel’s ear,
An open ear, O Lord,
Alive and quick to hear
Each whisper of Thy Word;
Like him to answer to Thy call
And to obey Thee first of all.1
I finished reading Bill Hybels’ The Power of a Whisper. The primary reason why I started my daily devotions was due to forgetting what God’s voice sounded like. Months would go by and I still couldn’t recognize what His voice even with the daily devotions. I felt my distant from Him felt even further during this period of trying to get closer. When I read the first chapter from Bill Hybels’ new book, I knew I had to pick it up immediately. What caught Hybels’ attention (and mine too) is the story of Samuel as a young boy hearing God’s voice.
Here I am, you called me. [...]
Speak, for your servant is listening2
Just thinking that God felt He would get to a little boy’s ear while asleep caught my attention. God didn’t try to get little Samuel’s attention once but 4 times! And the response that Samuel gives Him, “Here I am, you called me,” and then, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” God did and he still does speak when you’re willing to listen.
Daily, I end my prayer with that. I ask Him to speak because I, a servant of His, is listening.