Father’s Day not only a day to honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, Fathers-in-law, uncles, grandfathers, spiritual fathers, etc. are all honored on Father’s Day. Dads do make a difference
A positive and continuous relationship to one's father has been found to be associated with a good self-concept, higher self-esteem, higher self-confidence in personal and social interaction, higher moral maturity, reduced rates of unwed teen pregnancy, greater internal control, and higher career aspirations. Fathers who are affectionate, nurturing and actively involved in child-rearing are more likely to have well-adjusted children.
Meet Samuel, he has lived in the temple as Eli, the priest’s, assistant since he was 6 years old. He served by keeping the candles lit in the temple and probably many other odd jobs around the place, as well as attending to an aging priest. One night when Eli was sleeping and Samuel is sleeping near the lamp of God, Samuel hears someone calling to him. “Samuel, Samuel,”
He runs to Eli and calls out, ‘here I am.’ Eli is a little annoyed- I didn’t call you—go back to bed. A second time Samuel heard his name being called and he ran to Eli again- and again Eli’s response is, “I didn’t call you- go back to bed.’ A third time Samuel again hears his name and runs to Eli; Then Eli realized that God was calling Samuel. God’s voice had been absent so long it wasn’t even recognized by the priest! Eli said go back to bed and listen and answer if you are called again. Samuel went back to his bed and waited. I’m sure he didn’t sleep- I mean- he’d been up and over to Eli 3 times already- Verse 10 says, “The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
Every time God spoke and gave someone an assignment, it would challenge their faith. It would stretch them. It was never easy to hear. If you have the faith, the courage to pray, "speak to me, Lord,” and when God does, I hope you'll know that the message may convict you. His voice will challenge you. What He asks you to do may seem completely impossible but I can promise you this: His voice will stretch you and teach you to depend on him and live with even greater faith.
We need to be ready to accept the message that God is giving us. When we pray – it may be scary, or startling, it may stretch you and it may seem totally impossible. That’s the kind of prayers that God loves to answer; speak Lord, I’m listening
Samuel was ready for Him now- Speak Lord, I am listening. Samuel had no idea what he was getting into. Samuel listened- and he heard a tough message; God was showing him what was to become of Eli and his family. He didn’t know what to expect when he got the call. Don’t ask God to speak- if you don’t want to hear what he says.
Prayer in its essence is communicating with our God, our Father, going before his throne of grace, and any form of real, meaningful communication is not just one-way communication. Jesus said we can cry out Abba- Daddy- to communicate with His Father. It always reminds me of climbing up on my Dad’s lap to just sit- to listen to and enjoy his company. To just be with him. God wants us to be ‘with Him” to hear Him and to know Him. In other words, praying to God isn't us just talking to him, but praying is actually listening to God. In fact, I would argue that God has done way more when I listened to him than when I talked to him.
God is a speaking God. So, you may say, "Okay, I'm in. "I know it's dangerous, but I want to pray. "I want to hear the voice of God. "How do I hear the voice of God?"
Three spiritual thoughts to hear the voice of God:
1. Be still before God. This goes against all of the trajectory of everything in culture, fight to be still before God, to pause and to rest in his presence.
a. God speaks through His Word. He directs, guides, corrects. Hebrews 4:12. We need to read it and do what it says!
b. God speaks through people. God may use a sermon to speak to you. He may use a good friend or teacher.
c. God speaks through circumstances. For Jonah to get turned around God sent a storm and a fish. To help me see that drinking was wrong I woke up on a railroad track. Sometimes it is the loss of a job that will steer you a different direction or health or family situations… God can change our courses and help us to discover His plan if we are open to listening. We need to learn to thank God for those closed doors and be thankful for the future opportunities before us.
d. God speaks through His Spirit. When I said I heard God- it wasn’t audible- but it was a prompting from the Holy Spirit. It can happen through imagination, dreaming, a vision, feeling God’s pleasure as we begin a journey with Him. The more you listen the more you recognize His voice—Be still!
2. Be Willing: Often our prayers are long babblings- repetitive sentences that have lost their meaning. We need to be willing to be honest before God. We need to be willing to do what He calls us to do.
A warning: Make sure you’ve obeyed what He showed you last! God isn’t going to show you what to do tomorrow if you haven’t obeyed Him today. If you find yourself asking, “why don’t I sense God? Why don’t I feel His presence? It may be that you haven’t done what He already told you to do in the past.
3. Be Ready. When Samuel said, “Speak Lord”- he was ready to listen. When God speaks you may not like what you hear. You might not feel ready to do what He has asked. God calls us to do hard things- but with those hard things He gives us what we need to accomplish them. We had those that didn’t think we could raise the funds for the addition on South Troy, but God had other plans. God may call you to move to a different state, or to change your career. He may be telling you to invite your boss to church or break up with the person you’re dating. He may call you to forgive that one that hurt you.
Every time God spoke to people in the Bible- and even now- they felt unprepared, unequipped, and unqualified. God doesn’t speak to those that aren’t listening. He calls those that have willing hearts and faith to believe. Don’t fear- You are exactly in the right place. Have Faith. Pray Speak Lord! The only thing more dangerous than praying this prayer- is not praying this prayer!
