Speak, Lord, for Thy Servant Heareth
Samuel’s response gives us one of Scripture’s clearest models of listening prayer. He becomes quiet, attentive, and willing to obey before he knows what God will ask of him.
1 Samuel 3:1–10 · King James Version
That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
And Samuel ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me.
And Eli said, I called not; lie down again. And Samuel went and lay down. 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 Eli answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. 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. 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.
Speak, Lord — I’m Listening
What Samuel Teaches Us About Centering Prayer
What Samuel Teaches Us About Centering Prayer
There are three wonderful lessons this passage teaches us about what we understand as Centering Prayer.
The first is that Samuel heard “the Word of the Lord.”
The Gospel of John tells us that Jesus is the Word, who was with God from the very beginning (John 1:1–5).
Throughout the Old Testament, the name “the Word of the Lord” appears again and again — more than two hundred times.
It was used as: "The Word of the Lord spoke to Abraham." Or, "The Word of the Lord came to Moses."
'The Word of the Lord' was Jesus speaking throughout the entire Old Testament.
These passages show that God has always desired to communicate with His people through Jesus, who is the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 4:6)
From the beginning of history, God has been calling men and women to listen,
respond,
and walk with Him.
The second lesson is to notice when Samuel heard God’s voice.
He was lying quietly in bed.
His day was over.
His chores were finished.
Tomorrow’s worries hadn’t started yet.
His mind was finally still.
Isn’t that amazing?
Most of us spend our days with what we call “the brain monkeys.”
They’re those little imaginary creatures that swing from thought to thought all day long.
One monkey is worrying about paying the bills.
Another is replaying yesterday’s embarrassing conversation.
Another is planning tomorrow’s grocery list.
Before long, you’ve got a whole troop of monkeys throwing bananas at one another,
and you’re trying to remember why you walked into the kitchen in the first place!
It’s no wonder some nights we can’t even fall asleep.
Our minds are hosting a full-blown monkey convention.
And apparently nobody remembered to hire security.
Yet, in slumber, as the noise settles and our hearts become quiet,
we are often in a much better position to listen for God’s gentle leading.
The Bible tells us that we are more than just physical beings.
We have both a physical body and a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:44).
Our minds are wonderful gifts from God,
but they can also become wonderfully noisy.
Learning to become still before God isn’t about turning off our brains.
It’s about gently setting aside the endless chatter long enough to say,
“Lord, I’m listening.”
Sometimes the hardest part of prayer isn’t talking to God—
it’s convincing the monkeys to take a coffee break.
The third lesson is Samuel’s response.
Samuel responded with the heart of a child.
He didn’t argue.
He didn’t negotiate.
He didn’t say,
"Can we discuss this after breakfast?”
Instead, he was immediately willing to set aside his own plans,
his pride,
and his own will
so that he could do God’s will.
His response was simple,
humble,
and beautiful.
He was ready to listen.
And he was ready to obey.
That childlike willingness is at the very heart of Centering Prayer.
We become still.
We listen.
We surrender our will.
And each day we ask:
“Lord, how may I serve You today?”
Questions for prayer:
What do these passages reveal about God?
What response does it ask of me?
Is the impression I receive consistent with the character and teaching of Jesus?
What loving and faithful action should follow?