Psalm 25:9-10

He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way. All the paths of the Lord are lovingkindness and goodness and truth and faithfulness to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies.  

A teachable, humble spirit is the key to a strong relationship with God. When we realize how much we need and rely upon the leadership of God in our lives, we will remain humble and open to hearing Him. It gets harder to hear when we step away from the covenant and leadership. We react less in lovingkindness and goodness and draw strife to us. Strife leads only to a dead-end road.