For some this comes easy, for others, like myself, it took more hard work.
I had to unlearn a lot of the church concepts, and learn to develop a relationship with the Self.
I read a book (Awakening the Soul - Trilogy) by Bill Missett which helped me a lot: -
http://www.mediacastle.com/bill/ats4.html
There was a meditation in there which I started doing first thing daily as I woke up:
Connecting the Mind/Soul/Heart
Then connecting this inner trinity of the mind / heart/ soul to the Higher Soul.
When I started to do this I felt surges and waves of kundalini energy rising up within me.
Then I had to learn a medium which I could use for communication. I started studying the Tarot as a means of Divination / communication.
This has been a powerful tool for me to work with.
SOUL speaks through images and feelings. Learn how to recognise them and work with them.
The Tree of Life (Kabbalistic) is also a great help for Self initiation.
The Soul within is depicted as your Inner Sun.
Visualise daily in meditation yourself facing the sun.
There is a Golden Dawn ritual which they use called the 4 adorations.
While I do not use these word by word, I visualise my inner Sun and say a daily adoration and prayer:
Hail unto Thee, my Sun, my Soul.
Hail unto Thee in thy rising, thy setting, thy power and thy beauty.
May I ever walk in thy Light, thy favour and blessing.
Hail unto thee from the depths of my being.
Adapt this as you see fit.
This is probably a bit more on the esoteric side rather than the New Age side. But it should get you fast results.