“And the Lord came and called as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel replied, ‘Speak, your servant is listening.’” (1 Samuel 3:10 NLT)

While young Samuel was sleeping in the Tabernacle he was awakened a fourth time by the voice of the Lord calling him. The first three times he ran to Eli, thinking his old master was calling him. He didn’t yet recognize God’s voice. After the third time old Eli realized that God must be calling to Samuel, so he instructed him on how to answer. When Samuel replied as Eli instructed, God spoke to him. From that day forward Samuel was confirmed as a prophet. Throughout Israel he was respected as a prophet of God whose word was reliable. Samuel had to learn to hear God’s voice and respond. Have you learned to hear from God? Are you willing to get up in the middle of the night to hear from Him?