And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. 1 Samuel 8:21
People who know how to pray sound different from people who know how to say prayers. People who know how to say prayers usually work hard at getting the words right. In fact, many of them actually write the prayer words out and read them (or read prepared prayers such as those in a prayer book), to make sure they don’t make any mistakes. They are actually seeking the approval of the people around them. But people who know how to pray are less concerned about the actual prayer words and more concerned about communicating with God. Our text tells us about such a man. Samuel had a lifetime of communicating with God, beginning when he was just a child running errands for Eli in the tabernacle in Shiloh. In our text, he sticks to a prayer method that has worked all those years, a method that we can learn from.
There was a problem in Israel. Despite strong warnings against it, they were demanding that they be given a king. Samuel knew that having a king was not in their best interests. But he listened to them. He made sure he understood exactly what they wanted, and why they wanted it. Before he prayed, he got his facts straight. Before we pray, we need to get our facts straight too. If there is a problem to pray about, we need to understand that problem. If there are people we need to pray for, we need to understand as much as we can about their situation. If there is a work for the Lord that we need to pray for, we need to know as much about that work as possible. Only then can we take that prayer burden before the Lord effectively.
Did Samuel think the Lord did not know what was going on? Of course not; Samuel was fully aware that God knew more about the situation that he did. So why did he rehearse everything in the ears of the Lord? Here is where we find the real difference between knowing how to pray and knowing how to say prayers. Here Samuel was opening up his heart to the Lord. He was not selectively reciting certain things, nor was he expressing his own opinion, although he undoubtedly expressed his concerns. He simply told God everything, and he was committed to accepting God’s reply. And he received a reply.
Before you say your prayers, try Samuel’s method of praying. It won’t matter if anyone else likes your prayer; you will know that God hears and will reply. -Jim MacIntosh