Conversations with God

Read 1 Samuel 3:1-10

(Samuel had never had a message from Jehovah before.) So now the Lord called the third time, and once more Samuel jumped up and ran to Eli.

"Yes?" he asked. "What do you need?"

Then Eli realized it was the Lord who had spoken to the child. So he said to Samuel, "Go and lie down again, and if he calls again, say, 'Yes, Lord, I'm listening.' " So Samuel went back to bed.

And the Lord came and called as before, "Samuel! Samuel!"

And Samuel replied, "Yes, I'm listening."

1 Samuel 3:7-10 (TLB)

Diana Clark, from Rhode Island,remembers her dad telling her about the frustration he felt when he battled interrupted sleep as an older adult. Diana must confess that as a young adult, she didn't fully understand her father's feelings. She remembered his struggle, however, when recently she started experiencing the same problem.

It took Diana a while before she learned to accept this interruption by using the quiet time to listen for God's voice in her life. Inspired by two church handouts on prayer, Diana began to pray and respond each night by writing in a prayer journal. What had begun as an inconvenience had suddenly been transformed into a cherished time with her heavenly Father.

Over the last year or two, these quiet times with God have given her direction when facing challenges in relationships with neighbors, co-workers, friends, or family members. These "Interruptions" have also helped her to pray about problems or for the needs of others in her church and to give thanks for all that she has been given. Almost always, Diana returns to bed content and at peace.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the quiet times we have to listen for your guidance and direction, in Jesus' name. Amen.