Think about a good friend of yours. Maybe they live next door or are in your class at school.
Good friends like to spend time with each other. They care about what you think and how you feel. They like to hear from you, and they can hardly wait to talk to you.
The young boy Samuel and God were good friends. One night, Samuel’s Friend called out his name, “Samuel! Samuel!”
God called to Samuel three times — and three times Samuel ran to Eli’s room to see what the old priest needed. Then Eli realized that God was talking to Samuel. He told Samuel to listen to what God had to say.
When God called his name the fourth time, Samuel was ready. He said, “Speak. I am your servant, and I am listening” (1 Sam. 3:10). Samuel listened carefully to what God said for all his life. He shared God’s words with others.
God wants to talk with you too. He speaks to you through the Bible and through the Holy Spirit. He says you are His friend (John 15:15). He loves to hear from you.
Jesus loved to talk to all kinds of people — children and adults, those like Him and those unlike Him. When His disciples tried to keep children away, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them” (Matt. 19:14).
God wants to hear from you — even if you think He doesn’t. When you don’t feel like talking to Him, that’s when you really need to do it! Praying is talking to your best Friend. So talk to Him when you are happy, when you are sad, when you feel busy and when you feel bored. Tell Him how you feel and listen for His voice.
You can read 1 Samuel 3 for family worship.