“The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel’’ Then Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’” (1 Samuel 3:10)
At the start of a ‘Ministry Essentials’ (Children’s Ministry Network) training session on Zoom recently, we read 1 Samuel 3:1-10 together and spent some time meditating on the familiar story. All of us on the session were school workers and chaplains, Youth leaders, Children’s Workers, etc. We noted the obvious – that God bypassed the adult in the story and spoke directly to the child. We reflected that those working with children are often humbled by the realisation that God has spoken to them and has given them insights we ourselves had missed. We reflected that it is our prayer for children and young people today to be able to hear God speak into their lives and situations. We reflected too that we long for children and young people to respond with openness and submission as Samuel does: ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’ How wonderful and glorious that God can speak so clearly and directly to the youngest among us.
But we noted too a subtlety in the story that is often missed: the very significance of the name ‘Samuel.’ Sh’mu’el in Hebrew can also mean ‘God has heard.’ This gives the familiar story a whole new depth of wonder. Not only can a child hear God clearly and directly when adults are effectively deaf to Him – God can also hear a child. When a child speaks, God hears. When a child prays, God hears. When a child whispers a longing, thinks a vision, dreams a dream, ponders a question…God hears. It reminded me of Harry Sprange’s wonderful book, now out of print but accessible on the Internet* Kingdom Kids: the story of Scotland’s Children in Revival (1994). Harry’s meticulously researched and referenced book highlighted the key role of children and young people in Scotland’s rich history of revivals.
Lord, we pray for the children and young people in our churches and nations. May they hear God speaking clearly and directly to them. We pray too for all those who are connecting with children and young people today that they would be encouraged and renewed in vision and passion and energy. And we pray for a new generation of ‘Samuels’, of prophets, who will rise up and speak to our churches and nation.
* (archive.org/details/kingdomkidsstory0000spra)