"Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 
1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

"We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands." 1 John 2:3
The most paramount and foundational aspect to the success of every believer is personal pursuit of God.  It's not about a calling.  It's not about a country.  It's not even about what we are good at doing.  It's about knowing God and making Him known.  Jesus will enable us to do what He's called us to do.  He will stretch us and mold us into His image.  

In every phase of our training process, and beyond, the principle that saturates and underpins it all is relationship with Jesus and walking with, and obeying him.  The Great Commission is more than the calculated passage of information.  It actually far transcends mere preaching and teaching.  

Making disciples of Jesus is articulated by the Lord through the following statement: "teach them to obey all I have commanded you". We so often get bogged down and overwhelmed by delivering the Message, that we overlook, or have little resources left for, the heart of the Great Commission:  TEACH THEM TO OBEY...  Obedience over a lifetime takes character and that is what we are focused on doing as we train those whom God assigns us to disciple.   
There are two broad categories of people in the Church:  1) Those who relate to God based upon what they believe about God.  2) and those who relate to God based upon who they know, Jesus.  

We establish the value that, WHAT to believe comes from WHO we know, JESUS!  What comes from Who, Who does not come from What.  

We must know the Maker.  We must learn to hear His voice.  We must fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Then we can know how to follow His lead.  We can learn to stay out of His way and allow the Holy Spirit to work and lead.  

Only Jesus is Lord.  

During the Prayer and Bible Phase we reinforce firmly that the life focus for all of us is the Presence of God and His Word.  We spend every day in extensive and focused personal prayer and Bible as well as corporate worship and classroom study.  

The Bible is, at its core, about one basic purpose: Relationship. It develops this purpose in two planes: vertically and horizontally.  It is a record and manual to help us in our personal relation to God and to each other.  It is so thick because we have difficulty relating with God and others.

There is no substitute for the Presence of God in our lives and the central theme of our lives and identity must be the Presence of Jesus. Relationship with God and walking with Him is THE reason for the sacrifice of the Son of God.  All of the training in the world is worthless if it does not help us in our personal walk with God, and with helping others to come to really know Jesus and all that that leads to.  This is impossible without an established personal devotional lifestyle.