1 Samuel 3:1, 10 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision….And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak, for thy servant heareth.
As a young boy, probably a teenager, Samuel served the Lord at the tabernacle at Shiloh under the High Priest, Eli. What his serving entailed is not told us, but it probably had something to do with the priestly functions of bringing the people to God.
The prophetic function of receiving the word of the Lord and speaking it to the people was rare in those days: there were no called prophets. One night the Lord called to Samuel in an audible voice three times, but he thought it was Eli. And, Eli, though inexperienced in hearing from God, wisely told Samuel that it was the Lord after calling a third time. Samuel did not yet know the voice of the Lord.
This time he responded in faith: “Speak, Lord, for I am listening.” Then the Lord proceeded to give him a word of prophecy. God began to use Samuel as a prophet to speak forth His Word. It all began with his willingness to hear.
Speak, for thy servant heareth is a worthwhile prayer all of us to pray before entering the church for God’s Service to us. There are numerous commands in Scripture, “Hear!” Preparation and readiness to listen is our response. And the Spirit opens the ears and the heart.