Scripture Study
“He told Samuel, ‘Go and lie down. If He calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came, stood there, and called as before, ‘Samuel, Samuel!’ Samuel responded, ‘Speak, for Your servant is listening.’” — 1 Samuel 3:9–10
Are you giving God enough room to speak?
I am not a very talkative person. Even with that, I am never—well, almost never—a part of a conversation where a person will walk up to me, talk for several minutes, and then walk away without giving me a chance to say something.
Think about how strange that would be. You would probably think they aren’t really interested in what you have to say. They are just thinking about what they have to say, and they think you need to hear it. You might even be a little confused when they leave.
How often do we do that to God?
The Problem with One-Way Conversations
We open in prayer, give Him our list of requests, and then say “amen.” If we are truly seeking God for answers, shouldn’t we give Him some time to respond?
We want Him to fix our problems, give us wisdom, grant us good health, and help us with whatever else we need, but we aren’t always willing to take the time to sit still and listen.
Even the popular T.A.C.O.S. (Thanksgiving, Adoration, Confession, Others, Self) model of prayer doesn’t specifically leave room to listen. I think it is a good model, but shouldn’t we also leave time to listen to God? After all, He is the God of the universe. He might have something important to say to us.
A Model for Two-Way Prayer
I found another acronym for prayer that I like:
P – Pause: Slow down and become present.
R – Reflect: Look inward with honesty and awareness.
A – Ask: Express your hopes, needs, or desire for guidance.
Y – Yield: Let go and trust the outcome.
The same way you wouldn’t walk up to a friend, say what you have to say, ask them for things, and then walk away without giving them a chance to respond, don’t do that to God.
Give Him Your Full Attention
Take some time and listen to Him. Act like you want to hear from Him.
I challenge you to take a few minutes today, sit in silence, and pray the words from 1 Samuel:
“Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.”
Then be quiet.
Listen.
Let God have your attention.
Have a great day in Christ,
Matt
