"...let everyone be QUICK TO HEAR, slow to speak and slow to anger."
James 1:19 (My emphasis)

After James speaks of the developing of faith through testing trials, he makes the statement of verse 19. He tells us that the right response to testing would be 'quick to hear' and this would involves obedience to God's word.

Hearing is more than just listening, it means to receive and to apply as we see in James 21-22.
"...in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.  But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hears who delude themselves."
(It is not only wise, but expedient that Believers lay hold of the wisdom expressed here.)

Not only in the Letter of James, but there are many verses in Scripture pertaining to hearing. Following are a few.

The spiritual hearing of the Believer results in instruction, wisdom, and blessing.
"Blessed is the man who listens to me,
Watching daily at my gates,
Waiting at the posts of my doors." Proverbs 8:34

"He whose ear listens to the life-giving reproof Will dwell among the wise." Proverbs 15:31

"Guard your steps as you go to the house of God, and draw near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil." Ecclesiastes 5:1

Jesus in explaining the parable of the sower tells us in Luke 8:15, "And the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold if fast, and bear fruit with perseverance."

Of the hearing ear:
"...You have given me a capacity to hear and obey [Your law, a more valuable service than] burnt offerings and sin offerings [which] You do not require." Psalm 40:6 The Amplified Bible

"The heart of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge." Proverbs 18:15

"The hearing ear and the seeing eye,
The Lord has made both of them" Proverbs 20:12

Jesus speaking in Matthew 13:16,
"But blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear." The Amplified Bible

There are consequences for not hearing and I will share one with you from
2 Timothy because it is happening even now. (And there are others.)  I pray that we all will heed the warning of the Apostle Paul to Timothy and keep our hearts and minds focused on Christ our Lord and be attentive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths." 2 Timothy 4:3-4

Let us always have an ear that hears and a heart that obeys for that is our rightful service. We are a people blessed beyond measure! For the Lord has told us in Psalm 32:8, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you." Psalm 32:8

Thank You Lord for Your grace, loving kindness and tender mercies! Let us exalt our awesomely glorious God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen