Closer: Still Speaking
Do we really believe that God still speaks to us? And if that’s true, do we believe that God has the power we claim He has? The type of power that can transform our lives, churches, and world.
So often, we think of prayer as what we say to God, but what if prayer is as much, if not more, about what God has to say to us?
If we’re going to unlock and experience the fullness of what prayer really is, maybe we need to embrace the idea that God actually speaks, that He still speaks, speaks to us, and speaks in power.
1 Samuel 3
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
We think of prophets as professional superstars of faith. We see them as the ones who hear clearly from God and speak powerfully on God’s behalf. However, we discover that the prophet Samuel did not start out that way.
There is a distinction between the word of God and the Word of God – “Word” = breath, voice, presence, reality.
Think of the last text someone sent you prior to their death. It represents them as a person, but it’s not them. It reminds us of them, but it’s not their presence. We often treat God like He’s dead. There’s a remembrance of Him.
1 Samuel 3
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
God speaks because it’s His nature. It hasn’t changed and hasn’t stopped. The thing that changes is if we recognize His voice.
We learn that there’s a difference between knowing about God and recognizing His voice. For all his study and ritual, Samuel doesn’t recognize God’s voice yet.
We have to learn to recognize the sound of God’s voice.
1 Samuel 3
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
God speaks consistently. What changes is whether we are listening properly, and in order to listen properly, we have to stop talking and wait.
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” 15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.
When God truly speaks, it has profound personal implications.
Would you be willing to take a risk, get quiet, get alone, and block out some time each day to pray?
Would you be willing to take the risk in faith that God has spoken and is speaking?
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So often, we think of prayer as what we say to God, but what if prayer is as much, if not more, about what God has to say to us?
If we’re going to unlock and experience the fullness of what prayer really is, maybe we need to embrace the idea that God actually speaks, that He still speaks, speaks to us, and speaks in power.
1 Samuel 3
1 The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.
We think of prophets as professional superstars of faith. We see them as the ones who hear clearly from God and speak powerfully on God’s behalf. However, we discover that the prophet Samuel did not start out that way.
There is a distinction between the word of God and the Word of God – “Word” = breath, voice, presence, reality.
Think of the last text someone sent you prior to their death. It represents them as a person, but it’s not them. It reminds us of them, but it’s not their presence. We often treat God like He’s dead. There’s a remembrance of Him.
- Truth has a soul – it’s alive. You know something has a soul when it speaks.
- The Bible is the “word” of God, but it becomes the Word of God when the breath of God inhabits it.
- It is always true, but it changes when God speaks – His breath.
- What God speaks will harmonize, amplify, illustrate, and empower what He has spoken. Not new truth, but empowered truth.
- When we pray, it can be monologue, recitation, or empowerment.
1 Samuel 3
2 One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel.
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 5 And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
God speaks because it’s His nature. It hasn’t changed and hasn’t stopped. The thing that changes is if we recognize His voice.
We learn that there’s a difference between knowing about God and recognizing His voice. For all his study and ritual, Samuel doesn’t recognize God’s voice yet.
We have to learn to recognize the sound of God’s voice.
- Christian college – “God told me we are supposed to be together.”
- People who hear the voices of “God” and do horrible things – it’s a cliché at this point.
- Just because you feel something or think you hear a voice, doesn’t mean it’s God.
- If we don’t learn, we will either not hear God's voice or the wrong voice and mistake it for God.
1 Samuel 3
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. 6 Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
God speaks consistently. What changes is whether we are listening properly, and in order to listen properly, we have to stop talking and wait.
- The whole of the Bible – The whole of God’s interaction in human history is about Him speaking, intervening, or pursuing.
- We subtly and not so subtly believe that this has changed.
- Listening is different than hearing – Listening is when you’re ready to act on what you hear.
11 And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. 12 At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family—from beginning to end. 13 For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. 14 Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” 15 Samuel lay down until morning and then opened the doors of the house of the Lord. He was afraid to tell Eli the vision, 16 but Eli called him and said, “Samuel, my son.”
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” 17 “What was it he said to you?” Eli asked. “Do not hide it from me. May God deal with you, be it ever so severely, if you hide from me anything he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything, hiding nothing from him. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord; let him do what is good in his eyes.”19 The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord.
When God truly speaks, it has profound personal implications.
- Think about the implications of what God said here – this isn’t going to be easy. Some of us like the idea of God speaking when it’s about other people, or when it’s about us getting blessed. What if His speaking rearranges your life, understanding, or plans?
- The voice of God affirms what is true and confronts and shatters what’s false. The presence of God shatters false things that have held us in bondage, but then it requires us to take our rightful place.
- Receiving the truth from God requires releasing other things from our hands.
Would you be willing to take a risk, get quiet, get alone, and block out some time each day to pray?
Would you be willing to take the risk in faith that God has spoken and is speaking?
For more LHC content, subscribe to our newsletter below or follow us on Instagram.
Want to play catch-up, or are you looking for a specific topic? Check out our collection of sermons here.
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