Speak, for Your Servant is Listening

Wednesday, March 11, 2015
1Samuel 3:1-10 KJV 

1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; [there was] no open vision. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli [was] laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, [that] he could not see; 3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God [was], and Samuel was laid down [to sleep]; 4 That the LORD called Samuel: and he answered, Here [am] I. 5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down. 6 And the LORD called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again. 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him. 8 And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here [am] I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. 9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1) Who ministered to the Lord and before the priest Eli? (v.1a)
2) What was special about that person and the times in which he ministered? (v.1b)
3) Under what circumstances did the Lord call the child? (v.2-3)
4) How did the child and Eli respond to the Lord's call the first two times? Why? (v.4-7)
5) What happened after the Lord called the child the third time? (v.8)
6) What did the priest tell Samuel to do the next time the Lord called him and what did the child do the next time? (v.9-10)

APPLICATION QUESTIONS
7) How do you hear and discern the voice of the Lord in your own life?

LIFE LESSONS
8) The Lord most often speaks to His children through His word (the Bible).
9) The Lord is always speaking, but we are not always listening because of the cares and distractions of life.
10) It is often easiest to hear the Lord when we are in a quiet, or solitary, place and receptive to hearing His voice.