Swami Sarvapriyananda's (from the Ramakrishna lineage) has an excellent approach to nondual "worship" of God. It helped reconcile a lot of this for me – particularly identifying the "Self" with God. The question asked is most certainly from a Westerner, and his response is excellent. Here's the video if you're interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Dk4EIe-qyk

"so long as someone still identifies with the ego, they should not regard themselves as God."

Many neo-advaitins would do well to heed this advice!

On the point around bhakti getting you to the same place, i intuit the same thing. Ramana Maharshi is quoted as often saying: "bhakti is the mother of jnana". On a trip to South India last year, a friend told me that, in the Shakti traditions, it's understood to be incredibly difficult to awaken in the Kali Yuga through jnana alone, and that bhakti/love of Ma is essential. It's an interesting perspective. i don't know too much about "the Kali Yuga" beyond a few things i've read, but i can understand why that tradition would emphasise that. It does seem that bhakti comes either before complete "awakening" (moksha) or after, but either way it seems essential.