“Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli” This quote taken from verse one illustrates that Samuel was already a committed servant of the Lord, but he had to pass some tests before he could be a prophet that the people respected. 

1. His first test was did he hear the Lord and recognize him as the Lord. The first three times the Lord called him he heard but ran to Eli. Eli realized what was happening and had to give advice to him on how to respond. This apparently had a lasting effect, because we have no evidence that he ever again misunderstood when God spoke to him. 

2. The second and probably the hardest test was to speak exactly what the Lord had spoken to him. Samuel feared to tell this bad news to Eli. Eli was his earthly master and he was still very young, but God needed a man who would hold allegiance to him over man. He told him everything, and held nothing from Eli. 

3. Finally, the test of a true prophet is that what he speaks comes true. In verse 19 we read that God let none of his words fall to the ground. Literally meaning none of his words failed to come true.

Having passed the test all of Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord. (vs. 20) 

We do not have the Lord come and speak to us in our bedrooms as Samuel did, but God has sent his Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to abide with us. He is the Spirit of Truth and he will teach us and remind us of what Jesus has said. (John 14:16-17,26) In John 17:17 Jesus prays that we will be sanctified by the truth and that Gods word is truth. Derived from these scriptures we have Gods word that is truth and we have the Holy Spirit within us which is truth, these two elements that we have continually with us provide us with what to speak to the world through our language and deeds. Providing we, like Samuel, do not shrink away from what God speaks into our lives, He will bless us as he did Samuel. We may or may not be as renowned as Samuel on the earth, but we will be renowned in heaven for having heard Gods call, and responding by living and speaking just as he has instructed us fearing not man but the God who calls us. (Prov 29:25)

God’s blessings on your day!