By Andrew Williams
Series: The Year of the Prophet- Month 2: The Sovereignty of the Call
Week 7: The Encounter (The Invitation)
Anchor Scripture: “Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for Your servant hears.'” — 1 Samuel 3:10 (NKJV)
The Teaching
One of the most profound aspects of the sovereign call is that God often speaks to us before we have the “theological ears” to recognize Him. In the life of young Samuel, we see a boy who was physically positioned in the temple—he was sleeping near the Ark of the Covenant—yet the Bible says he “did not yet know the Lord, nor was the word of the Lord yet revealed to him” (1 Sam. 3:7).
The “Samuel Moment” is that season in a prophet’s life where God is calling, but the prophet is misinterpreting the source. Samuel heard a literal voice and thought it was his mentor, Eli. He ran to the human source because he didn’t yet understand the divine frequency.
Sovereignty means that God is persistent. He called Samuel four times. He didn’t give up because the boy was confused; He simply kept calling until Samuel was properly positioned to receive. This teaches us that the prophetic call is often a process of auditory training. God calls you in the “night” seasons of your life—when things are quiet and you are vulnerable—and He uses the confusion of the moment to teach you the distinct “sound” of His voice versus the sound of man.
Prophetic Insight
If you have ever felt a “tug” in your spirit or heard a “prompting” that you initially dismissed as your own thoughts or a human suggestion, you were likely having a Samuel Moment. The voice of God often sounds familiar. It doesn’t always come with thunder; it often sounds like a deep, internal resonance that you mistake for your own conscience or a memory of a teacher’s voice. The key to moving from a recruit to a prophet is the response: “Speak, for Your servant hears.” This is a shift from “running to Eli” (looking for human answers) to “lying still” (attending to the Divine).
The Activation
Think back to a time when you had a recurring thought or a “nudge” to do something, and later realized it was God. Today, practice the “Samuel Posture.” In your quiet time, don’t start with your prayer list. Simply say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears,” and then remain silent for five minutes. Pay attention to the very first “sound” or thought that enters the stillness of your spirit.
Daily Prayer: Lord God, I thank You for Your persistence. I thank You that You called me even when I didn’t have the maturity to recognize Your voice. Forgive me for running to human sources for answers that can only be found in You. I take the posture of Samuel today. I am lying still in Your presence. Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening. Amen.
