Listening Ears and Bended Knees
When I was a child, I remember several times shouting “yes mummy”🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️🏃♀️ and running to my mum only to get there and realize she didn’t call me.
Sometimes it would happen repeatedly minutes apart and I remember before even getting to her she would have shouted her response back to me in Yoruba “T a lo’n pe’e? Mi’o pe’e!!!” (Who is calling you? I didn’t call you!)
Growing up, I remember adults around us would tell children not to respond to such calls because they thought it had demonic undertones to it.
We got so confused because sometimes you hear your name and you don’t even know if to respond or not because you get into big trouble if mummy is truly calling you and you don’t respond🙆♀️
Fast forward to present times, my children would also do same….we are in separate rooms and next I’ll hear ‘yes mummy” and when they get to me I tell them I didn’t call them but they usually tell me that they actually heard my voice😕
Come to think of it now, did I give them the same story I was given as a child 🤔 ???
I have been studying the books of Samuel for some time now and I can’t help but compare these occurrences…
Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli. Now in those days messages from the Lord were very rare, and visions were quite uncommon. (1 Samuel 3:1 NLT)
Messages from the Lord were quite rare…just like in our time but why did God decide to speak to a child? Why didn’t he continue speaking to Eli?
So the Lord called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am. Did you call me?” Then Eli realized it was the Lord who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, “Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back to bed. (1 Samuel 3:8-9 NLT)
Is it possible that God is trying to talk to children but the adults around them are not teaching or guiding them appropriately….just like Eli did with Samuel?
Eli didn’t think Samuel was too young to hear from God, he didn’t think Samuel was too young to understand the things of God, he didn’t think Samuel didn't have enough experience to be used by God.
“Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 18:10 NLT)
Are you thinking what I am thinking?
Could this be the reason why the enemy is doing everything in its power to corrupt the minds of our children and make them “unusable” by God?
Could this be the reason why with the help of the enemy, the world systems have made parents, especially mothers, too busy to “train their children in the way of the Lord?”
What is the role of a praying and present mother in the life of her children?
- Hannah spent between 2–4 years nursing Samuel and in that short time, she influenced him to seek God
- She dedicated Samuel to God by leaving him in the temple with Eli
- Samuel continued to seek God as he grew up … he didn’t start but continued.
- Why didn’t Eli have the same result with his sons?
- Why didn’t Samuel have the same result with his children
- The role of a mother in raising godly children should and must not be overlooked.
- Hannah ignited the fire, Eli flamed it and Samuel burned for the Lord.
My friend would always say “Whenever you wake up is your morning!”
This is our morning!
It is not too late to start with our children now that we know how important our roles are to their spiritual growth but for some of us, we can’t give what we don’t have.
If we are looking for where or how to start, just start by assuming a praying position and talk to God your father. Have a honest and vulnerable conversation with Him and He will show you which way to go.
Be obedient and yield yourself to his directions.
You can also study the bible and learn God’s truth….This is one area where I am struggling but I keep asking God for the Grace and zeal to study His word in order to equip myself for the assignments ahead of me.
May God help us all. Amen
