How Did Samuel Hear From God?

1 Samuel 3 reveals the first time that the Lord spoke to the prophet Samuel, when he was only a child. This chapter uncovers characteristics about the way that God talks to us. We can study 1 Samuel 3 to discover how to properly listen to God and how to ask Him to speak to us. How did Samuel hear from God? Read on for some lessons and thoughts on 1 Samuel 3.

“The boy Samuel ministered before the Lord under Eli. In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the Lord, where the ark of God was. Then the Lord called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”

“Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”

“Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

“Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1Samuel 3:1-10).

The Lord spoke to Samuel and revealed events that were to occur in the house of Eli. While this message wasn’t the most pleasant (Eli’s family had been living in great sin), this was not the only time that the Lord spoke to Samuel. “The Lord continued to appear at Shiloh, and there he revealed himself to Samuel through his word.” (1 Samuel 3:21).

So this was the beginning of Samuel’s personal relationship with the Lord. He heard from the Lord many times and was able to usher in historic changes for Israel. Samuel would go on to anoint both Saul and David, spiritually guiding the country through great trials and victories. To do this well, he had to learn how to listen to God.

How do we hear God?

Each day, we should set aside some time to actively listen to God. In order to be successful, we need to understand how to hear God. God rarely speaks aloud, although He does sometimes. Some people live long lives never hearing the audible voice of God. Many people hear it once or twice, in moments of great danger or when needing great comfort. Very few people hear it often, I am not one of them. I’ve never heard the audible voice of God, but I believe that I have heard Him speaking in my spirit many times.

What do I mean by hearing God in my spirit? Well, I will have thoughts, that have nothing to do with what I am thinking at the moment. Normally they are Bible verses. Chapter and verse, or a series of chapters. It all started when I was praying one day as a teenager, upset that I was feeling unloved and rejected. In my mind, I heard “John 15:9.” I didn’t think of verses often…so I just thought, why don’t I look this verse up?

“As the Father has loved me, so also have I loved you. Abide in my love.” (John 15:9).

Exactly what I needed, exactly what I was praying about. This has continued many times throughout my life. I know His voice now. It is different, it is familiar. Jesus says that His sheep know His voice (John 10:4). Often, His voice is still and small. Gentle. A quiet whisper.

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:11-12).

I have heard things other than Bible verses since then, but 99 percent of the time, it is a Bible verse, chapter, or word that leads me to a particular story in the Bible. The Bible is a large, huge book. God wrote it for us. To speak to us. This is the main way that He communicates with us. He will lead you there.

I heard a pastor suggest a way for a person to start recognizing the word of God from their own thoughts. First, set aside quiet time to spend with God each day. Alone, in the quiet, put away all distractions. Start with worship, get your heart right. Pray, ask the Lord to speak to you. You can use Samuel’s words, as above, “Speak for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10). Now read a bit of the Bible. Wherever you feel led. Last, journal a bit. Write out what you are thinking about the Bible reading, your own life circumstances, and how you feel God would like you to respond.

You may be surprised at what you write. You may find answers that you were looking for, or revelations that you didn’t know that you needed. Keep this up, and I believe that you will grow in your walk with God.

Remember, God will never say something that contradicts the word of God. He will never tell you to take revenge. God will never lead you to harm; but will only lead you to heal, give, encourage. He will rarely tell you to do something drastic, unless He sets up the means, direction, and support for it. He gives us direction in many ways, but He rarely makes decisions for us. And He always confirms His word. God is “not the author of confusion, but of peace.” (1 Corinthians 14:33).

Ways that God confirms His message to you

God always confirms His word to you. Three, four, five times, He will confirm what He wants to tell you over and over, in different ways. Notice that the Lord called Samuel three times? The Lord is patient with us. I used to think that I was really slow, not understanding His direction until He said it so many times. But now I know that this is His usual way. So that we won’t get it confused. And so that we won’t be deceived into hearing messages that are not from Him. Samuel’s word from God was biblical, and it was rooted in the truth that Eli was very much aware of. How does God confirm His word?

God’s Word (the Bible): you may read exactly what you have heard in your daily Bible reading, listening to a sermon or podcast, on a Bible verse posted on social media, or another method. A message from God will never contradict God’s word. The Bible is the word of God and is His main way that He communicates with His people.
God’s People: a trusted, Christian family member or friend may bring this exact message to you. However, never allow the advice of one person to outweigh your own conviction, as false shepherds can and will attempt to manipulate you (Matthew 24:24). If God wants to send you a message, He will send the message to you.
A Dream: dreams and visions were common in the Bible and are a real way that God communicates. Dig into this topic further to learn to discern if a dream is from God, your own mind, or the enemy.
Personal experiences: some things are between you and God-you will know what it means if this is the case.
Peace, or the lack thereof: we have the Holy Spirit within us. While we cannot rely on feelings, we have a powerful ability to discern wrong from right by the presence of peace, or a still Voice telling us “no.”