Samuel was dedicated to the Lord. He was a product of a prayer that was made in heartfelt sorrow by his mother Hannah. He was a child of the Lord, so he was given back to the Lord. Samuel grew up and served in God's house under the Eli the Priest. He did everything right, being faithful and diligent. Even so, Samuel did not personally know the God that he was serving. Not until one morning.
"Samuel". At the sound of his name, Samuel got up and attended Eli, "Here I am… You called me".
"I did not call you, go back and lie down."
Two more times this happened: Samuel heard his name, he rose and attended to Eli. The third time, Eli realised what was happening and instructed Samuel: "Go and lie down, and if he called you say 'Speak Lord for your servant is listening.'"
The fourth time, Samuel responded to the Lord and "the Lord came and stood there".
Samuel, as an adolescent, now had his own personal encounter with God. He knew the Lord's presence!
It’s not enough for us to go day by day serving God and reading His word without the personal relationship with Him. Our heart and our spirit yearn for that intimacy with God on the account that He is our Creator. Samuel's life wasn't the same after his encounter with God; just like our lives are not the same until we truly encounter Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
Today I encourage you not to just read the word of pray a 'shopping list' prayer but shift your eyes on the cross. Shift your thinking to Jesus. Ask Him to meet with you where you are. Respond to God and be aware of any feelings, pictures, visions, colours, scriptures and words that you may experience. Just like Samuel we can have our own personal experience with God.
"The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word"
1 Samuel 3:21
-Sandra Iliev
"Samuel". At the sound of his name, Samuel got up and attended Eli, "Here I am… You called me".
"I did not call you, go back and lie down."
Two more times this happened: Samuel heard his name, he rose and attended to Eli. The third time, Eli realised what was happening and instructed Samuel: "Go and lie down, and if he called you say 'Speak Lord for your servant is listening.'"
The fourth time, Samuel responded to the Lord and "the Lord came and stood there".
Samuel, as an adolescent, now had his own personal encounter with God. He knew the Lord's presence!
It’s not enough for us to go day by day serving God and reading His word without the personal relationship with Him. Our heart and our spirit yearn for that intimacy with God on the account that He is our Creator. Samuel's life wasn't the same after his encounter with God; just like our lives are not the same until we truly encounter Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
Today I encourage you not to just read the word of pray a 'shopping list' prayer but shift your eyes on the cross. Shift your thinking to Jesus. Ask Him to meet with you where you are. Respond to God and be aware of any feelings, pictures, visions, colours, scriptures and words that you may experience. Just like Samuel we can have our own personal experience with God.
"The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word"
1 Samuel 3:21
-Sandra Iliev
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