Give Us Samuel's Ears

We are all familiar with the story of the young Samuel who heard a voice calling him in the night and thought it was the priest of the Lord, Eli. Eli didn't hear the voice, but urged Samuel to reply, "Yes, Lord, your servant is listening." (1Sam 3:9), which he did and received the message the Lord wished to give Eli. Centuries later, the author of the classic book on contemplation, The Cloud of Unknowing, wrote: "So I want you to undestand clearly that for beginners and those a little advanced in contemplation, reading or hearing the word of God must precede pondering it, and without time given to serious reflection there will be no genuine prayer."
Mary listened to the words of Gabriel, Joseph listened to what he heard in his dreams, Jesus often went apart to listen to his Father. Listening is a basic, a foundational stone for growth and progress in our spiritual lives. How often in a conversation do we realize that folks aren't listening to each other, or to us, or that WE aren't really listening to them? It's embarrassing when we realize it, but oh, so true and so often the case. If we don't listen to each other, are we not surprised to find ourselves not listening while we pray? So much of our prayer time is devoted to asking for this or that, praying for all sorts of intentions, reciting our favorite prayers, but rarely listening to what God is trying to say to us. We need to be less like Eli and more like Samuel. How is he speaking to us today? What is he saying? Lord, Give us Samuel's ears! AMEN!
Bro. Rene