This morning we are considering how we can follow God’s will for our lives. I would like to begin by reading a passage which is very familiar to us: 1 Samuel 3:9,10

“Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down; and if He calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Thy servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came and stood forth, calling as at other times, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for Thy servant hears.’”

I often find myself waiting impatiently at red traffic lights. As soon as the light turns green I rush ahead to the next red light. Why are there so many red lights and why do I always seem to hit them? Rush, stop, rush, stop, rush, stop. Life seems like this. We are always rushing somewhere fast.

Sometimes our prayer life is like this. Rush, pray, rush, pray, rush. We speak quick prayers to God. “Oh God, keep me safe while I’m rushing around.” “Oh God, change this circumstance.” “Oh God, keep me healthy because I can’t slow down to be sick.” And, this prayer, spoken during church meetings, squeezed in between all the events of our lives, “Oh God, lead us in service for you.”

When do we ever stop to listen to what God may be saying to us? Someone has said that the most important part of prayer is the 15 minutes after we say "Amen." If we are to hear what God is saying to us we need to stop talking at God and start listening to Him.

Four times God called Samuel’s name. Three times Samuel was confused. He assumed that he knew who was speaking: "It must be Eli." Finally, Eli tells Samuel how to answer God’s call. Do you remember Samuel’s words to God? “Speak for Thy servant hears.” When Samuel begins to listen, God begins to speak. God’s words are important, prophetic, and change the destiny of the whole world.

One of the most difficult parts of the Christian life is learning to hear and understand the voice of God. To hear and understand God takes practice and experience.

I once read an account of a missionary who had learned to place all she had in God’s hands. When she would pray, she would sit quietly waiting for God to answer. In her hand she held a pad of paper and a pencil. Whatever God told her to do she would write it down and then do it. She did this regardless of how strange or costly God’s instructions were.

One day she was praying concerning an impossible conflict between a colleague and herself. As she prayed, she felt that God wanted her to take a fresh egg to her colleague. With embarrassment and anxiety she took the one fresh egg to her colleague. Her colleague received the egg with disbelief and great gratitude.

The colleague was a mother of ten children. She had used her last food to feed her family. This fresh egg was to be her only food for the day. God used one egg and the trust of His servant to restore a relationship and provide food to this mother.

The prophet Isaiah said, “They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

In our haste we want to fly like eagles and then find out that we have no strength. We want to run and then find out that we have become weary. We walk and begin to faint. Isaiah says that if we want what it takes to move through life we must first wait for God.

Waiting for God means three things.

1) Rest: We need to let our body and spirit take a break from all of our rushing around. Look around and see all of the abilities, resources, and blessings God has given us for our lives. A time of rest is a great opportunity to surrender all of these to Him to be used according to His will.

2) Patience: Make a conscious decision to not move until God moves you. We often try to accomplish things by our own strength and wisdom. We become weary doing things He never intended for us to do. Then, when God desires to move us we are tired and unable to follow His leading.

3) Expectation: This is a promise of God. He will direct you. Live expecting His direction to come.

When we are seeking God’s will, all of these are important - Rest, Patience, and Expectation. All of these force us to slow down and listen for God to speak.

The Pioneer 10 spacecraft was launched from earth in 1972. Its primary mission was to explore Jupiter. Pioneer 10 passed Jupiter in 1973 and is now 6 billion miles from earth - beyond the solar system - the most distant man made object in the universe.

Pioneer 10 sends signals to earth from an 8-watt transmitter - which produces about as much power as a bedroom night light. The signals take more than nine hours to reach earth. Against a cacophony of background space noise - against impossible odds - this tiny voice is being heard. Heard, because people on earth are listening.

God’s voice is louder than a 8-watt transmitter. But, often our “noise” and rushing around is greater. If we want God’s guidance for our lives - if we really want Him to lead us - then we must learn how to be silent before Him - to wait on His voice to speak to us.

Let me encourage you. The next time you pray. Take your Bible, a pad of paper and a pencil. Read His promises. Lay your concerns before Him in prayer. And then just sit there and listen. See if He speaks to you. Write down what He says and then do it.