1 Samuel 3:10 (NKJV): Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears (shema)."
The word 'hear' in this verse is 'shema' in Hebrew, which means 'to hear attentively, to hear carefully, to hear in view of obeying'. 'Hearing in view of obeying' means 'hearing in view of acting on it'. James 1:22 says, 'be not just hearers, but doers', i.e. 'acting on the words you've heard in the Spirit'. Jesus in his own town Nazareth (where He grew up) couldn't perform many great miracles because the people did not 'shema' Him (see Luke 4:28-29). They saw Jesus as merely a man in the neighborhood. "Hey, isn't he the one we used to play with at the playground those days?" But, in other towns, e.g Capernaum, Jesus could perform many great miracles because the people 'shema' Him (see Luke 4:36-37). They saw Jesus as who He was! See the big difference?
A hearing heart (a 'shema' heart) is the key to your victory in this end-time. Word and Spirit. Spirit and Word. They go together, hand-in-hand, as you 'shema'. And just as God has trained Samuel to 'shema', allow Him to train you also. In 1 Samuel 3, you'd see Samuel was still learning to 'hear in the Spirit' (with his spirit). It was then that he learned to differentiate between the voice of man (Eli) and the voice of God. And from thereon, he continued to grow from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord (see 2 Corinthians 3:18), even in the area of 'hearing with his spirit'! Praise God! 'Grow' he did! And by 1 Samuel 16, the day arrived when his 'hearing' was about to either make or break a nation! The Lord saw him as a ready 'vessel'! He was called by the Lord to 'shema' who was to be made the next king, among the sons of Jesse! And because Samuel had learned to 'shema', he heard correctly and accurately when it mattered most. That's how David was anointed, and later, Israel became so blessed because of this king! You see? A 'hearing heart' leads to many blessings for Israel!
Say (from your heart) as Samuel had said, "Speak, for Your son/daughter hears (shema)". This will lead to many blessings, victories, and breakthroughs in your 'Israel' (i.e. your 'ground', your business, your ministry, your family, your career, your investments, etc). In 'seeing the way God sees', Samuel chose the right king (Note: God told Samuel 'not to look at outward appearance, but look at the heart'). People of God, this is crucial in this end-time.
By the way, every believer can and should hear ('shema') from the Lord, not just certain anointed prophets, apostles, pastors, etc. This is the New Covenant. In the Old, only selected and anointed people can, but in the New, everyone (who's purchased by the blood of Jesus) can. Jesus has already done it for you on the cross! He has opened the way for you! The 'veil' has been torn! The Bible says as a believer, you are now called 'royal priesthood' (1 Peter 2:9). You know what? He has made you king and priest! Royal priesthood! (Revelation1:5-6) So, you don't have to be like a high priest in the Old Covenant who enters the Holy of Holies once a year to 'hear', or specially anointed prophet like Samuel to 'hear'!
As Paul said in Romans 1:9, 'he serves God with his spirit'. As you serve Him with your spirit, it's also essential to hear ('shema') Him with your spirit. Accurate 'hearing' leads to accurate 'serving', whatever vocation God has called you for! 'The Holy Spirit bearing witness in your spirit' is the foundation to every other forms of hearing with your spirit, e.g. in dreams, visions, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirits, etc.
By the way, hearing with accuracy is not for you to 'pull down' your brothers and sisters in Christ (for they are God's beloved), but to edify (build up) one another. It's also for you to 'triumph in Christ', pulling down the work of darkness, and walking in victory everyday, and in every area of your life!
Beloved of God, be open to hear ('shema'). Quiet yourself down. There's sometimes just too much 'noise' around (e.g. tv, people talking everywhere, etc). It's time to have a 'hearing heart' like Samuel, for He will surely speak to you. Receive in Jesus' name. Amen!
