Will the devotion increase by praying to God for more and more time, day by day?

[Ms. Laxmi Thrylokya asked:- People advise that if a devotee puts effort in praying God for more and more time day by day, the devotion will increase. Is it correct because You say that the devotion must be natural without any applied force or effort?]

Swami replied:- The inert action increases the non-inert quality of awareness and the non-inert quality of awareness that is continuously thought increases the inert action. Both are mutually complimentary to each other. Non-inert quality of stealing increases with the inert action of stealing done continuously (Karmānusāriṇī buddhiḥ). Inert action of stealing continuously increases with the non-inert quality of the thought of stealing (Karma buddhyanusāri ca).

The natural process can include both these concepts and it is quite possible that natural interest may be developed by putting effort in spending more time forcibly though initially the interest may not be naturally developed. In course of time, natural interest may be developed since the beginning of any effort contains defects like the smoke covering the fire in the initial stage of lighting a fire (Sarvārambhā hi doṣeṇa– Gita). But, this concept may not be correct in all cases. Moreover, increasing the time of prayer gradually is a mechanical process only and does not create real interest in God because there is no extra reason to create the natural interest in God. If you want the real natural interest in God, you must study more spiritual knowledge about the personality of God, which will increase the attraction towards God even in the absence of aspiration for any fruit in return from God. Such natural interest created from the knowledge of God is real and permanent. The increased interest by simple increase of the duration of prayer is not very much significant in developing the real and permanent natural interest. This concept of action and quality may apply in doing merit and sin in Pravrutti, but, this concept is not very effective in the case of Nivrutti. The aspiration for fruit in return may increase the natural interest in God, which is not at all useful in Nivrutti because God is a very unique special personality of pure truth and real love.