Ahhh-my heart burns with passion on this subject because there are sooooo many ways God can manifest Himself. I'm very weary of hearing, "God doesn't speak to His children today, you can't hear His voice, you are some sort of kook if you say you have heard Him speak to you--like what planet did you come from?"--sort of thing, etc. Each one of us has a very personal relationship with our Saviour, and He knows just exactly how best to communicate with us because He knows US! He created you. He knows how you relate, how you listen, how you read--do you comprehend or not comprehend when you read, do you struggle when you read, maybe you can't read, do you often not get it when someone tells you something, do you need to hear it 10x before it clicks--auditory processing issues, are you a hands on person--tactile by nature, do you get it best if you hear it read, are you stubborn and self-willed--He might have to hit you up side of the head to get your attention, or are you the exact opposite and only need a nudge from the Spirit to know what to do--whoever you are--GOD knows you, and since He desires more than anything to have a relationship with YOU, He knows better than anyone how to get your attention and speak to you. The written Word--Scriptures, the spoken Word--Holy Spirit, prayer, events, Godly people in our lives (and I'm not talking about those who try to play God!)
Saul very clearly heard the Lord speak to him, but those around him didn't hear the voice. God spoke at John's baptism of Jesus. Read the account of what He said and what some heard! A man from Macedonia spoke to Paul in a vision (Acts 16:9) "saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us." Do a word search on the phrases: "And the word of the Lord came to ...." "The Lord said ...." "By the word of the Lord ..." Our Scriptures were God-breathed "but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21)--how else do you think we got them? Do a word study on RUACH. How did Jonah know he was supposed to go to Nineveh? Then, because he didn't do what the Lord had told him to do--he CLEARLY understood God's direction--He had a conversation with the Lord from the belly of the whale. Moses had an on-going dialogue throughout most of his life from the burning bush on--sometimes face to face. In 2 Samuel 5:24 David was told "when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees that then thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the LORD go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines." Boy THAT would blow some brain gaskets in today's sphere of Christianity! He was getting ready to lead men into harms way, and he's supposed to wait for "the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees"?! Yep--and BTW--because he knew God's voice and understood what He was saying, David knew exactly when the sound happened--there was no guess work here. He didn't need an interpreter! He didn't have to ask God for clarification! He didn't go to his men, have a committee meeting, and wait for confirmation! My husband used to love to preach on "The Going in the Mulberry Trees". Mary, the mother of Jesus, had a distinct conversation with the Lord the night she conceived. Then Joseph heard from the Lord. The shepherds on the hillside not only heard angelic music, they heard a full message that night outside of Bethlehem. God spoke to the 3 wisemen through the stars He created. Not only did Samuel hear the voice of the Lord, Eli knew it was the voice of the Lord and Eli hadn't even heard God call Samuel, but He knew it was the Lord! Samuel didn't know it was the voice of the Lord the first two times, because he'd never heard the voice of the Lord prior to that. Because Eli told him it was the voice of the Lord, when God spoke the 3rd time, Samuel listened, understood, and then in obedience the next morning--though reluctantly--related to Eli exactly what God had told him the night before. God wrote with His finger on a wall to speak to Belteshazzar and gave Daniel the interpretation thereof. God got Belteshazzar's father, King Nebchadnezzar's attention in Daniel 4. Paul bore witness in Acts 20:22,23 "that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying bonds and afflictions abide me." Not only was Paul hearing this from the Lord, but the brethren were hearing the same thing and pleading with him not to go. Joseph fully acknowledged it was the Lord who gave him the interpretation of dreams.
As4me--I so get what you're saying because you grew up in a charasmatic setting. Satan has a counterfeit for everything GOD has. I 100% believe Hebrews 13:8. VV76 is pegging it as to why we don't hear of, or see, or know of these sort of things in our circles today. I challenge you to spend some time talking with a missionary who's been in a closed country, or spent 3 or 4 terms on a field. They didn't go alone, and they'll have accounts to share you'll never forget. All you have to do is read biographies and autobiographies of missionaries, persecuted believers, soldiers, common folk who've walked through the fire/flood, and you'll see this same common thread--God revealing Himself in a myriad of ways to His children, often by His voice. God cannot be limited.
When I got ahold of Isaiah 30:21 "And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left." (that was all the way back in high school) I began pursuing and desiring to know and hear and recognize my Saviour's "word" in whatever way He chose to reveal Himself and His will to me. It wouldn't even be worth my time or effort to throw back the covers in the morning and put my feet on the floor if I didn't know I could walk and dance with, and hear the voice of my Redeemer.