Shalom,

2 Corinthians 13:1b says this:

‘By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established’.

Understanding this principle, when I saw that two of the devotionals that I check out each day were speaking of listening, I decided to use them here! The first is our own Spoken Word Church website devotional:

Listen

It is an art, a science and an incredible tool for growing. Productive listening is vital to success. It demands discipline and effort. Listen. Take the time.

Listen to God, His Word, His ministers. Listen to those around you who are hurting. Listen to your own conscience. It is a key to real success.

"A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels:  (Proverbs 1:5)

"Even a fool, when he holds his peace, is counted wise: and he that shuts his lips is esteemed a man of understanding."  (Proverbs 17:28)

I like the phrase "productive listening"! I see 'unproductive listening' to be the type where someone listens for the purpose of replying, rather than listening for the purpose of learning! Sometimes we have our minds made up and are simply listening for the pause that will allow US to speak OUR minds! Have YOU ever done this? I have! It was rude and produced nothing good! Productive listening causes knowledge and understanding to come so that we can not only be of help to someone else, but we will have Wisdom for our own needs and situations, too! Our Father LOVES when we do this because it puts us in position to walk in His promises! The other devotional that spoke of listening is "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers. Here is a portion of that one:

The Devotion Of Hearing

Speak; for Thy servant heareth. — 1 Samuel 3:10

The destiny of my spiritual life is such identification with Jesus Christ that I always hear God, and I know that God always hears me (John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God, by the devotion of hearing all the time. A lily, or a tree, or a servant of God, may convey God’s message to me. What hinders me from hearing is that I am taken up with other things. It is not that I will not hear God, but I am not devoted in the right place. I am devoted to things, to service, to convictions, and God may say what He likes but I do not hear Him. The child attitude is always “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.” If I have not cultivated this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God’s voice at certain times; at other times I am taken up with things – things which I say I must do, and I become deaf to Him, I am not living the life of a child. Have I heard God’s voice to-day?

I LOVE that he says here that his goal is to be so identified with JESUS that he could ALWAYS hear the voice of the LORD! It takes just that type of a commitment to be in the presence of the LORD on a daily basis and to have confidence in that. We are to have that child-like attitude that runs to our 'parent'! I desire to hear Him at all times so that I never miss an opportunity to obey His Word and Holy Spirit within! Paul made this kind of commitment (Philippians 3:10 AMP) and so can we! WILL you? Only YOU can answer that and follow through on it! He has given us hearing ears, let's make great use of them! AMEN! Here is Hillsong United with "Here Now":

Shalom in Him!