Are ears enough…

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Matthew 11:15

Prayer is a dialogue.  It is a conversation.  It is a communion with God.  And if we are to be part of that conversation… we must hear God.

And so, we need ears to hear. 

Ears that only He can give.  But are ears enough… if we are to follow?

While ears might be all we need in order to “hear”, something else is needed if we are to understand.

“and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart” Isa 6:10

I was in prayer once and cried out to God, “Lord!  I want to hear You more!”

He answered… “I want you to start listening.”

Ouch.  But it was true.  While I wanted to hear, which is passive, God wanted me to listen, which is active.

Listening is acting on what you have heard.

How can you act if you do not understand?  And so, it is, once again… a matter of the heart.

To understand is not simply to “know” or to  “get the point”…  it is more a matter of “grasping,” “taking hold of.”  To understand is to be able to put to use.

When we pray, we need to have that position of desiring to be able to put to use. 

God’s answers are not like the news ticker at the bottom of the TV screen while the reporter is speaking.  They are not meant to just go by for those who might notice them.

God’s answers are breaking news.

This just in!

That is the urgency of prayer.  It is meant to get our attention because it is that important.  And so, we must desire to understand.

Lord, please give us ears to hear, and hearts to understand.

SDG