What steps are most important in the initial stages of sadhana-bhakti if we want to gain spiritual strength?
Srila Prabhupada explains that we must erect a fence to protect the seed of our bhakti. That fence is to always keep ourselves in the society of devotees. This fence will protect the seed once it has been planted and has started to grow, and it will keep out mad elephants. Of course, we may ourselves invite mad elephants to trample our creeper—such as when we offend devotees—but the fence will protect us if we prosecute our devotional service carefully. Once the seed of bhakti is planted, we must water it continuously with hearing and chanting if we want it to grow. While watering, however, we must be careful to pull out any weeds that grow alongside the creeper. That means we have to learn to discriminate between weeds and the devotional plant. The weeds are compared to anarthas, unwanted desires in the heart, that can choke the growing plant. Therefore the most important step one must take in the initial stage of sadhana-bhakti is to associate with those devotees who help us become free from the influence of our anarthas and who strengthen our faith in pure devotional service.
(LFD, Vol2, Spiritual Strength in Executing Sadhana-bhakti, Pg 49, 1st paragraph)