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•A Prayer for Quieting the Noise•By Anthony Valente👉 So Eli told Samuel, "Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, 'Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.(1 Samuel 3:9)Sometimes life gets extra noisy. With all the news, emails, messages, and discussions, it’s no wonder our minds feel overloaded. As a reforming overthinker, I’ve mastered certain techniques for quieting my thoughts. But when the world seems out of control, even my best efforts won’t suffice.The priest Eli understood this. When the boy Samuel thought he heard Eli calling him, Eli knew Samuel had actually heard the voice of God. Samuel came running to his mentor, expecting an answer. Eli told Samuel what to do and instructed him to go lay down “in his place.” Away from all distractions. We can still learn from Eli’s advice today.When we struggle to quiet the chaos in our minds, God will call us back to our quiet place with Him.We can benefit from having a special place where we can tune out the world’s noise and tune in to God’s voice. Maybe yours is a prayer closet, a comfy chair, or on your knees next to a sleeping child’s bed. Wherever you call your quiet place, God is calling you there today.The reality is, some seasons leave little room for going to that place. For finding solitude and listening for God’s comforting words. We may be surrounded by little ones needing our constant attention or caring for aging family members. We may be working overtime at our essential jobs or burdened by struggles out of our hands. Yet it’s in those times we need God the most.So whether five minutes or half an hour, let’s pray and seek God for an opportunity to go to that quiet place. He is ready to meet us there.✝️ Heavenly Father,Lately the noise of this world seems to grow louder and louder. I want to focus on You but get distracted by the chaos around me. I long for a moment of peace but struggle to quiet the noise in my mind and heart. Lord, forgive me for letting distractions of this world draw me away from You. I want to hear Your comforting voice calling out to me above all else. Thank You, Lord, for teaching me the importance of having a quiet place. Eli told Samuel to return to his bed and wait to hear from You. In the same way, Lord, speak to me in the stillness. Let me feel Your holy presence. Teach me to seek obedience and trust along with my desire to hear You. Make my heart pure so I can be a servant in whom You are pleased. Lord, when the demands of life leave little room for meeting You in the quiet places, I will have peace in knowing You are with me. Your rod and staff comfort me. (Psalm 23:4) Help me to know even a few minutes with You will comfort my overwhelmed soul. You are an ever present help in troubled times. (Psalm 46:1) You are ALL I NEED. Thank You Lord, I love You Lord.In Jesus’ Name I Pray,AMEN 🙏 But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.(Matthew 6:6)"Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." (Isaiah 6:9-10)Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.(Romans 6:16)Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."(Hosea 6:3)I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.(Philippians 3:10-14)I listen carefully to what God the LORD is saying, for he speaks peace to his faithful people. But let them not return to their foolish ways.(Psalm 85:8)If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.(Colossians 3:1-3)You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”(Psalm 27:8)“Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!” As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.”(Daniel 10:19)Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”(Hebrews 13:5)If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)That even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.(Ephesians 2:5-6)“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”(Psalm 46:10)The boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions. One night Eli, whose eyes were becoming so weak that he could barely see, was lying down in his usual place. The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the house of the LORD, where the ark of God was. Then the LORD called Samuel. Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down. Again the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD: The word of the LORD had not yet been revealed to him. A third time the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.(1 Samuel 3:1-9)(pic verse)Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.(Psalm 37:7)Artist 👨‍🎨 I Am With You Always - David Delfeld