SermonStudio

Once there was a boy called Samuel. Though Samuel was only a boy, he helped Eli in the temple. One night, when Samuel was sound asleep, he heard his name called. "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel answered, "Here I am!" Then he ran to Eli. "Eli, Eli, did you call?" Eli said, "I did not call. Go to sleep, Samuel. It is late." Samuel did as Eli said and the voice called again: "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel got up again and went to Eli. "Here I am!" he said, thinking that Eli had called him in his sleep. Eli was an old man and needed his sleep, so he answered, "I did not call. Lie down, Samuel, and go to sleep." But it was in his sleep that Samuel heard the voice. The third time he got up and went to Eli. "Here I am, for you called me." Now Eli was wide awake. "It is the Lord!" he said. "Samuel, go lie down and if you hear your name called again, say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.' " So Samuel went and lay down in his place and when he heard his name called again, he did as Eli said. As Samuel grew, the Lord was with him and Samuel let none of his words fall to the ground, for Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.

Talk together: There was once a man who would awaken in the middle of the night and he did not know why. He went to a counselor, a wise man he trusted, and told him about it. The counselor replied, "Perhaps God is calling you." The next night when he awoke in the middle of the night, he said, "Here I am!" and began to pray and write in his journal, remembering the story of Samuel.

Prayer: God, help us hear your call and remember your stories, especially the story of the boy Samuel. Amen.