Wednesday of Week 1 in Ordinary Time
1 Sam 3:1-10,19-20
Jn 10:27
“Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
Good day, my friends. We are almost at mid-January, and I wonder how this New Year has been for you. December, for many of us, is often a whirlwind — holidays, gatherings, and for me, an endless list of commitments. Assignments, hours of practice for a Christmas concert, preparing for celebrations — I was exhausted before Christmas even arrived. And January has not slowed down — more assignments, returning to classes, and seeing clients.
Recently, a client asked, “How do I know when the Lord is speaking to me?” She was frustrated. Despite praying daily, she heard no words from God. Then, almost as if nudged by the Holy Spirit, she said quietly, “I know I need to be still.”
Her words stayed with me. I am almost ashamed to admit that, like her, I had been so busy with doing that I spent little time being silent and still, let alone praying. I rushed through Scripture, prayed hurriedly, and filled every corner of my day with tasks, ministry, and responsibilities. I was doing many things for God, but rarely making space to simply be with Him.
Listening to God requires intentionality. It requires cultivating stillness in our hearts and approaching Him with openness. In today’s first reading, Samuel hears the Lord calling, but only recognises God’s voice after guidance from Eli. Samuel’s posture is simple yet profound—“Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” He does not strive or force an encounter; he simply presents himself, ready to receive.
Reflecting on my client’s question, I realised that despite knowing all this, I myself had not been still. Hearing God is not about spiritual competence, but spiritual posture. Jesus says, “The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” His voice has not stopped speaking; it is my heart that has been unsettled. Even Jesus prayed, “In the morning, long before dawn… He went off to a lonely place and prayed there” (Mk 1:35). If the Son of God sought stillness, how much more do I need it?
My client admitted she saw God as a vending machine. I felt my own frustration rise, but I kept silent. How many times have I said, “Here I am, I come to do Your will,” while secretly asking God to fulfil my will? How often have I approached Him with my timelines and expectations? And in that moment, I realised: we cannot hear God if what we truly want is our own voice echoed back to us.
Samuel heard God because his heart was surrendered, uncluttered, and receptive. He was ready not only to hear, but to obey. The Holy Spirit reminded me gently of the practices that realign my heart: embracing stillness to notice His gentle whispers; letting Scripture speak into my life; praying for surrender rather than outcomes; obeying what He has already revealed; relying on the Spirit’s guidance and comfort; and discerning His voice by its fruit — peace, truth, humility, and love. These quiet postures help me listen again.
Slowly, I began to see that God had been speaking all along — through my fatigue that warned me to slow down, through Scripture I skimmed, and through clients who mirrored my own restlessness.
God was not silent.
I was distracted.
Returning to stillness, I am learning that listening to God is less about hearing a sentence and more about yielding a life. It is a daily turning of the heart, a quiet, courageous openness to whatever He desires.
And so this has become my prayer once more — not as a religious phrase, but as a posture of surrender:
“Speak, Lord, your servant is listening… even if what You speak stretches me, slows me down, or leads me somewhere unexpected.”
(Today’s OXYGEN by Geraldine Nah)
Prayer: Lord, quiet my heart and help me listen. Align my will with Yours, guide me with Your Spirit, and teach me to obey Your voice. Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.
Thanksgiving: Thank You, Lord, for never stopping in Your pursuit of me, for guiding me through Your Word, Spirit, and gentle whispers. I am grateful for Your presence, grace, and love.
OXYGEN 
Leave a comment