January Cub Club

Bedtime — Interruptions and Invitations

The Biblical record of Samuel’s calling is a huge moment in the storyline of God’s people. 

Amazingly, it happens in one of the most normal moments of everyday life: bedtime. 

I wonder what you felt as you read that word: bedtime. 

As grownups we know all too well that bedtimes are big times for little ones, and for us too as we seek to help them rest. We want our little ones to know that God is with them in the dark.

As a dad, I’m always looking for ways to involve God more in bedtime.
I really want my little one to hear God’s voice and know his company in a special way.

We also want it ourselves too, don’t we? Our own anxieties and distractions can so easily make bedtime harder. God’s presence helps us hold our nerve, be present to the situation, and provide a restful space for our little ones in turn.

In these moments, Samuel’s prayer is a wonderful prompt for us and our little ones.

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” 

Sometimes it’s part of my routine — a short prayer I breathe walking into kiddo’s dim-lit, Lego-walled bedroom. Other times it’s a prayer I remind my little one to use when he’s struggling to sleep. Sometimes it’s my cry for help, struggling to be the Dad I want to be in that important moment with a head full of a thousand other things.

When we intentionally invite God into the interruptions and disruptions of bedtime, it makes a difference. A simple prayer of dependence can turn bedtime into a divine invitation.

Tonight, may you and your little one find goodness in praying the prayer of Samuel: 

“Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”