Union with Christ includes labor, planning, and resolve. But it is labor by His strength, planning under His guidance, and resolve according to His purpose. The conscious awareness of Christ's presence and dependence on Him becomes the LIFE of the believer. This inner communion with the Lord builds our relationship with Him, provides us with spiritual nourishment, purges us of that which is carnal and worldly, and deepens our spiritual insight. Many believers acknowledge the importance of spending time with God, but they struggle with actually doing it.
Devotion is the bedrock of devotions.
God draws near to those who are devoted to Him, but those who are not fully devoted may read the Bible and pray till they are blue in the face, and it impresses God not in the least. We will consider some practical pointers in a moment, but make no mistake. No technique, no Bible reading program, no devotional guide will ever substitute for a heart fully devoted to God. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.