Last night as I was reading 1 Samuel 3:1 something jumped out that I hadn’t noticed before. It reads that Samuel was ministering to God during a time when it was rare to hear from the Lord in visions and spoken words. Samuel ministered to God BEFORE God called his name audibly three times at night. He thought the prophet Eli was calling him, but after the second time, Eli discerned that is God and told the boy to say, “Here I am Lord.”
If you have a desire for encounters, to hear God speak audibly, see visions, receive words of knowledge and prophecy, minister to God FIRST. These gifts are all an overflow of just being God’s friend. Minister to God by singing praises and thanking him for His goodness. Even be so bold as to thank Him in advance for showing up.
(People often ask me to pray for them so they can receive an encounter, hear His voice, see visions, dreams, etc…here’s what you can start doing now AND on a regular basis to get this going in your own life. Just come to God repeatedly with a thankful heart. How easy is that? Trust me, He will respond. 
Remember Joshua 1:8…meditate on the word (including praising him, prayer, worship, etc) day and night and THEN you WILL be successful. This is a key towards gaining perfect peace and releasing power when you pray. In Matthew 16:19 Jesus says he will give us the keys to release on earth what is already in heaven and to prevent on earth what is not allowed in heaven. If you desire encounters and are also in need of breakthroughs, healing, etc., put these powerful “keys” into practice right now! Watch what happens next!
