Spiritual Receptivity

By Rick Bayer, July 31, 2022

1 Samuel 3:1-10

Some reactions to the idea of “hearing God's voice”

  1. “I dont want to be a !”
  2. “What if I what I hear!”
  3. “The Bible is enough. Give me a verse, !”
  4. “I'm not sure God is in me.”
  5. “I'm not sure I'm to hear from God.”

1 Samuel 3:1-3 NLT

1 Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon.

2 One night Eli, who was almost blind by now, had gone to bed. 3 The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle near the Ark of God.

1 Samuel 3:4-5 NLT

4 Suddenly the Lord called out, “Samuel!”

“Yes?” Samuel replied. “What is it?” 5 He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you,” Eli replied. “Go back to bed.” So he did.

1 Samuel 3:6-7 NLT

6 Then the Lord called out again, “Samuel!”

Again Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

“I didn’t call you, my son,” Eli said. “Go back to bed.”

7 Samuel did not yet know the Lord because he had never had a message from the Lord before.

1 Samuel 3:8-9 NLT

8 So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?”

Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. 9 So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed.

“Speak , your servant is listening.”

Two take-aways to develop spiritual receptivity:

1. Be open to for you in all areas

God reveals himself through:

  • Creation - The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1 NIV

  • Conscience - They demonstrate that God’s law is written in their hearts, for their own conscience and thoughts either accuse them or tell them they are doing right. Romans 2:15 NLT

  • Common Grace - that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Matthew 5:45 NIV

2. It's not God's voice we seek first, but rather a with Jesus.