“So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant hears.’”
In this chapter we see the confirmation of Samuel as a prophet, and despite Eli’s failing eyes and ears for God, he gives wisdom to Samuel to hear God, who though being called, had not yet known the Lord. In this wisdom, we can learn about seeking the Lord ourselves in prayer and in the quiet. After all, he desires so greatly for us to go to him.
While God can certainly meet us anywhere at any time, Eli tells Samuel to “Go, lie down,” in the quiet and private place of the temple. Jesus often did the same thing in the gospels, retreating to private places to be with his Father. This “place” might look different for each of us. It could be that one chair in your house, your driver’s seat on the way to work, or a bench in the park. Wherever it is, the very act of going is seeking God’s presence, even when our hearts don’t feel like it. Where is it for you? Or where could it be?
The text says “the Lord came and stood”—the Lord was literally physically present with Samuel. And the incredible thing is this: as believers in Jesus Christ, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, the Lord is physically with us as well. And though at times it may feel like God is far, He is near and we can be certain he is listening. After all were reminded a few Sundays ago, didn’t the angel Gabriel report to Zachariah that the Lord had heard his lifelong prayer to have a son?
Finally, Samuel responds to God’s calling with “Speak, for your servant hears.” Samuel acknowledges his posture as a servant to the Lord, and essentially says, “your kingdom come, your will be done.” Samuel got some rough news that he had to share and sometimes what we hear from God isn’t what we want, but as Christ followers, it is His will be done, not ours.
Samuel wants to know the Lord. Samuel is not asking for stuff, like we often do, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Really, the heart of prayer is to enter into a deeper intimacy with God, from which all else flows, and we can do that with absolute certainty.