How can I hear from god?

1 Samuel 3:1

: Circumstance of Samuel > He was living in a time when god does not speak to anybody, there was no word coming in that time, spiritual deafness, everybody doing right in their own eyes. The Word of God had disappeared from the land. Everything went wrong: immorality, poverty, and defeat on the battle field. Those were days of deep despair.

1.       MINISTERING TO THE LORD: Samuel was not affected of that ungodly time but he was minister unto the god when there was no spiritual concern on the land.

·         Are you ministering to the lord?

·         How is your worship life throughout the week?

·         How you talking to others?

·         Matthew 19:13-14, To get heavenly attention in your life today, you have to have child like attitude & faith to come.

·         Samuel’s child like spirit attracts the heaven.

·         Luke 7:35, childlike approach justified.

·         Isaiah 55:6

·         Jeremiah 17:9-10, the lord searches the heart, if you humbly seek god, you will find him today.

·         1 Samuel 1:3, 24, what cause Samuel to minister to the lord? When did he see that?  > Hanna recognize her time with Samuel, he show her mother lifestyle towards the lord.

·          Do not get effected by the situation in your life but honor God and seek God because the God who was with Jacob, Moses & Joshua, and in New testament in Hebrews 13:5, This is the promise for us that the God is with us today.

2.       WORSHIPING GOD: 1 Samuel 3:19, he grew in worshiping god, because he was hungry to hear the word of god and the god was with him.

·         Spiritual hunger draws you near to God for the word of God.

3.       FELLOWSHIP WITH LORD: Samuel has fellowship with the lord because the lord was with him.

4.       MEDITATE ON WORD OF GOD: 1 Samuel 3:19, Samuel meditated upon the word of God.

·         John 7:49

·         Preaching ministry should not be ritual it should be preparation of ministering the god before preaching.

·         Joshua 1:8, you may have close door but if you meditate to the word of God, a door will open for you.

5.       SPECIFIC PLACE TO WORSHIP: 1 Samuel 3: 8, Samuel had a specific place to worship, Eli perceived, but he could not hear the voice of god because of the hindrance in his life. Eli and his sons had wandered from God. They robbed God by putting themselves first, through their immoral and impure lives and their arrogance.

·         1 Samuel 3:21, Shiloh is a biblical place where the tabernacle was setup, Shiloh means “he who is to be sent in association with the messiah” > Genesis 49:10

·         Psalms 78:57-61, Shiloh was destroying because people were turning away from the god, because the arc of the covenant was a physical sign to them, they did not recognize it was a presence of god.

Samuel does not need to advertise his publicity, people of Israel recognize him due to the god manifested of his power & presence in the life of Samuel.

Sermon notes from www.intlcog.org. Date: 8/26/2012