“Oh, well … uh … go your way. The Lord will answer your prayer.”

  Sure enough, the Lord answered her prayer. In less than a year, she gave birth to a baby boy and named him “Samuel,” which means “God heard me.”

When the boy was old enough, his mother took him back to the Tabernacle and presented him to Eli. She said, “I prayed for a child, and the Lord answered me. Now I’ll give my son to the Lord, and he’ll serve Him for the rest of his life.”

Every year Hannah came to visit and brought new clothes for Samuel. The priest prayed that God would give Hannah more children.  After that she had three sons and two daughters.

Eli gave Samuel work to do in the Tabernacle. As he grew physically, he also grew in favor with the Lord and with people.

Eli’s sons were just the opposite. They were wicked and didn’t honor God in any way. Many of their sins were committed in the house of the Lord. Eli talked to them about this, but did nothing about it.

One night, while Samuel was sleeping, the Lord called out, “Samuel, Samuel.”

He woke up and ran to where Eli was sleeping. He said, “Yes, I’m here!”

Eli woke up and looked at the boy. “I didn’t call you, Samuel. Go back to your bed.”

 Samuel went back and lay down. As he was going to sleep, the Lord called him again. “Samuel, Samuel.”

This time he knew he wasn’t dreaming. He got up and ran to Eli. “Here I am!”

Eli once again said, “Son, I didn’t call you. Now, go back to sleep.” So Samuel went back and lay down. 

Once again, the Lord called to him, “Samuel, Samuel.”

At this point in his life, Samuel didn’t know God, and the Lord hadn’t talked to him. So, the boy did the only thing he knew to do. For the third time, he ran to Eli. “I’m here because you called me.”

This time, Eli realized what was happening. He knew the Lord was calling Samuel, so he said, “Go back and lie down. If you hear someone calling you again, say, ‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.’ ”

Samuel went back to his bed and lay down. The Lord called him once again, “Samuel!  Samuel!”

Quietly Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

God said, “I’m not pleased with how Eli allows his sons to do evil in my house. I’m going to judge him and his sons.”

Samuel lay back in his bed. In the morning, Eli called him, “Samuel, what did the Lord say to you?”

The boy was afraid to tell him the message from God. Eli said, “Son, don’t hide it from me.”  So Samuel told him everything. 

Eli said, “He’s Lord! Let Him do what is good in His eyes.”

The Lord was with Samuel from that day on, and God continued to reveal His words to him. Samuel obeyed the Lord, and everything he said came true.  All of Israel recognized that he was a prophet of the Lord.