Amos 4:13 -- "For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The Lord, The God of hosts, is his name."

Expectation pulls virtue out of God.

Psalm 5:3 (Amp.) – "In the morning You hear my voice, O Lord; in the morning I prepare (a prayer, a sanctuary) for You and watch and wait (for You to speak to my heart)."

One of the foremost keys to hearing from God is living with expectation toward Him. Expectation places a demand on the Holy Spirit, just like a plugged-in cord of an appliance pulls current out of an electrical outlet. We should live with expectation toward God twenty-four hours a day, for He abides within us at all times.

We need to behold Him in that manner. He is willing to commune and speak to us every moment of our lives and He is as close as our own breath. Yes, God does talk. He is speaking continually. Radio stations broadcast continually, but without a receiver, one will hear nothing. Christians need to develop their receivers (their human spirits) which will enable them to tune in to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Hearing God’s voice should not be a rare or once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. It most likely will not be audible

(although there are a few who claim to have heard His audible voice). To hear God only when His voice is audible would be almost a sure indication that He dwells outside one’s temple, not inside. If we insist that God speaks audibly to us, it basically breaks one of His fundamental laws.

It is impossible to please God without faith. Hebrews 11:6 -- "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

It takes no faith to hear or obey an audible voice. But it does take faith to pay attention to the still small voice and witness of the Holy Spirit. I Kings 19:11-12 -- "And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake; And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." It takes discipline to command all manner of distractions to be still while we wait before God.

The Lord desires that we live a life of listening. How can anyone have a successful ministry (successful in God’s eyes) without hearing and communing with the Holy Spirit on a continual basis?