I don't care who you are or how great God has moved in your life at one time or another, if your heart shuts, your spiritual hearing fades. It's that simple. When you open your heart to God, your spiritual hearing improves, more and more.
One of my most favourite things in this world is the ability to hear God with spiritual ears - or, through the heart. Not hearing Him so clearly was starting to get to me. But now that my heart is totally open to Him and He is restoring our relationship, my spiritual hearing improves, as does my ability to sense His presence, and, it must be said IT FEELS SO GREAT! :D
I closed my heart off and down because I'd had enough of pain... but I've since learned that pain can't keep a heart down when it is held up by God.