“Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.” Revelation 2:11 There is a significant difference between having ears and having ears to hear. Seven times in the Book of Revelation, it says we need ears to hear; it must be essential to know the difference.
Listening carries the unspoken connotation of following what we are told. Have your parents ever told you to listen to what I am saying? They are not trying to get you to listen to their words but incline your heart and obey what they say.
Hearing from God takes that same type of listening. When the Spirit of the Lord spoke through John to the seven Churches, He expected them to listen and obey what he said. A prerequisite to hearing from God is a willingness to take to heart His words and follow them. James 1:22 NLT tells us, “But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.” Hearing God’s words without obeying them is only deceiving ourselves that we are following Christ.
Communication with God is a two-way street. God speaking is not a problem; hearing is based on whether we are willing to listen or obey His words. Reading the Bible without the intent to apply it to our lives is like reading a menu at a restaurant but not eating the meal. We know it looks good, but we get no nutrition without partaking. Inclining our hearts to truth opens our eyes and our ears.
The problem for the Church is not that we need new truths, but the application to our lives of the old truth we already have. We need ears to hear.