Vs. “Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.”

It kicks off today! I am not referring to the NFL. I am referring to Pray 21. What is Pray 21? Pray 21 is a 21 day national movement created for teens and adults to pray together for the purpose of discovering their place in the cause of Jesus Christ and their role in Jesus’ church.

How long have you been in the church? Looking out of this body of believers I see people who have been a part of the church for just a couple of years and I see people who have been a part of the church for 7 or 8 decades. Regardless of how long you have been do you know what your role is in Jesus’ church?

I believe Pray 21 is an opportunity for you and me to help each other recognize and respond to God’s voice in our life and in our church. Ephesians 4:11-13 reads

“Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do His work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.”

Helping each other recognize and respond to God’s voice in our life and in our church is our responsibility.

How do we fulfill this responsibility? We do what Eli told Samuel to do. We begin by listening.

Samuel said,

“Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.”

Samuel and Eli were sleeping. Samuel heard his name being called out and immediately went to Samuel. (What parent doesn’t wish their child would respond as swiftly?) Eli denied calling Samuel and told him to go back to bed. Again Samuel heard his name being called and went to Eli, who denied calling him and told him to go back to bed. A third time this scenario is repeated. (Any parent who has been awoken multiple times by their child can empathize with Eli at this point.) This time Eli realizes that Samuel is not imagining things. He is indeed hearing his name being called, but it is God who is speaking. So he instructed Samuel to go back to bed. If the voice calls again, say

“Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.”

Do you believe that God still speaks today? Have you ever said to God “Speak, God? I’m your servant, ready to listen.” That might be why you have never heard God speak. Have you ever read a passage of scripture and asked, God, what are you saying to me?

I have never heard God’s voice booming out of the sky. Yet I have heard the voice of God. I also know that many of you have heard God’s voice as well. The key to hearing is LISTENING. When the prophet Elijah was running for his life he didn’t find God in the earthquake or the violent storm. He found God in the still small voice. You and I can find God in that very same way. You and I can find God as Samuel did by praying,

“Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.”

When you go to God in prayer how much of your prayer can be qualified as

“Being still and knowing that the Lord is God.”

This is an area of prayer we all need to work on. I don’t know about you but I have mastered the moaning, the groaning, the lamenting, the begging, and the bargaining part of prayer. I have also mastered telling God how He should answer my prayer and what He should do. My guess is that I'm not the only one who has mastered this part of praying and that's OK.

God wants us to bring everything to Him. He wants to hear about our hurts, pains, disappointments, failures, and grievances as He listened to the Psalmist. I am certain He is not offended when we tell Him how we want Him to answer our prayers. God listens to us, don’t you think we owe Him the same courtesy of listening to Him.

What is going on in your life right now that you aren’t very happy about? Are you going through some unwelcome changes at work? Are you already unhappy with the new school year? Is it a new teacher? Is it a class you don’t like? Is it a roommate from, you know where? Are you having health problems or a difficult relationship?

What is new in your life? What changes are taking place? What is God trying to tell you in the midst of your turmoil, your storm? Chances are you already told God all about it and what He should do. NOW it is time to LISTEN. NOW it is time to say “Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.” NOW is the time for you to LISTEN to God and to BELIEVE God had a purpose for this particular situation in your life; To believe that

“all things work for good with those who love God;”

To believe that God will reveal His will; To believe that God will sustain you for He has promised that

“you can do all things through Christ
who strengthens you.”

This week I am challenging you to pray,

“Speak, God. I’m your servant, ready to listen.”

“Those who wait in the Lord, shall renew their strength, shall mount up with wings like eagles, shall run and not grow weary, and shall walk and not grow faint.”