Ask and you shall receive...

Nehemiah 8 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. 5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.
After the city walls had been completed, and the city was inhabited by people, it was time to celebrate what God had done.  But they were unsure as to how. So they asked; they asked for God's word to be read. They received what they asked for as Ezra read for hours from God's Word, and they gave their attention to what he read.  Their "Amens" demonstrated their acceptance of what God had given them: His words, and their bowing their heads was an acknowledgement that the Word had hit home in their hearts.  They were now ready to make an appropriate response, fully understanding what God had said. 
The first thing they had to do was ask: ask for God to speak. May we be willing to approach this Lord's Day in that way: asking God to speak to us, giving full attention to His Word(no matter how long the sermon), accepting whatever He may tell us to do-whether we like it or not, and then responding appropriately in obedience to Him.