A relationship doesn't exist without a communication which points to the fact that you can't truly claim you know anyone without some form of communications. You can't say you know God if there is no flow of communication between you two. God speaks to us in various forms and speaks to each of us in different ways or form too. How He speaks to one might not necessarily be how He speaks with another.
It is important to hear from God because it demonstrates that you are in God's community when you hear from Him and get the directions on what needs to be done. God is always speaking but we often don't take note.
When we hear from God, He guides us from mistakes. Listening and communicating with God should be a daily and continuous affair...exactly how you communicate with a lover you want close at all times.
God guides our hands and hearts to follow and go in the path that God wants us to follow. The Bible told us that "my sheep listens and knows my voice". You can't claim you know God if you can't identify how He speaks with you and obey what His leading points to.
The Word of God cannot grow in your heart when your heart is hardened. Your heart needs to be teachable. Your mind must be willing and yielding. There are so many distractions in the world, we have a lot of things to distract us from allowing our hearts to stay in tune with God's Word. We have a lot of worries, even riches and pleasure can take our hearts away from God. We need to strike the balance to not be influenced when we have these things or when life happens to fill our hearts with worry.
Cultivate an open mind if you want to hear from God. Don't be resistant. Don't block your mind but be teachable. An open mind is a teachable mind.
Pride and fear can make you not desire to listen to God. We sometimes feel we are in a good place and we don't need God. The fear of the unknown where we feel we only need human relation to get through rather than God's help. Bitterness and anger will stop you from listening to God because you can't be in the flesh and then in the spirit at the same time...one must give way to the other.
You develop root and gets grounded in God when you create personal time for God. What you create time for takes priority in your heart. Study the Word, attend a Bible believing Church and don't stop daily fellowship with God as He can reveal to you things no one else can.
You need to corporate with what God's telling you to do even when it doesn't appeal to your own common sense. God's ways are not ours and His thoughts are not ours. As the Heavens is higher than the earth so are His ways greater than ours. God might lead you round but He can never lead you wrong.
Thank you for your time.
My pen doesn't bleed, it speaks, with speed and ease.
Still me,
My tongue is like the pen of a ready writer.
Olawalium; (Love's chemical content, in human form). Take a dose today; doctor's order.