The Lord can be invoked only through the intensity of the devotee’s love; He can never desist from manifesting Himself for the sake of His devotee. The power of the blowing wind makes the waters of the ocean take the form of waves. So too, God, the immanent basic being can manifest in a picture or an image that one worships on account of the power of true devotion. In order to fulfill the yearning of His devotee, God will appear in any form, through any means, at any place. But to see God, you must pray to Him with one-pointed concentration. This single-mindedness comes only with purity, which is itself derived from meditation. Therefore you must cultivate virtues, which can be inculcated from good company (satsang). Seek the company of the virtuous and avoid people with bad character. Your real friends are those who talk and discourse about the Lord, about truth, about the service (seva) of others, and about love that considers all as equal.

- Dhyana Vahini, Ch 9: “Spiritual Development”