Prayer is the food
for the soul! We are not sure of a person who has not prayed at some time or
other in his life! Prayer is the hall mark of all religions though in different
ways. All prayers reach the same God though we call him by different names. “
Akasath pathitham thoyam yatha gacchati sagaram sarva deva namaskaram Kesavam
pratigacchati” say our sasthras! Like the water falling from the skies flowing towards the sea, all worship and
prayers reach Lord Kesava. “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams
of” says Tennyson the Victorian poet. The very aim of every religion is to
inculcate the habit of praying to the Almighty! Temples, mosques, churches,
synagogues, and Gurudwaras are constructed
for the purpose of prayer and worship. It is common for people to pray
when they are in difficulties But we should cultivate the habit of prayer daily
at least for a few minutes and concentrate on the power above.
How should we
pray to God? Is it necessary to pray loudly” Or is it to be silent prayer? God is omnipresent. He listens to your prayer
whether it is loud or silent. He can
hear even the footfall of an ant. It is not show and ostentation that the
Providence expects. It is sincerity and faith that God expects of you. Swami
says, “The efficacy of prayer depends on the unity of mind and speech. When it
is there that prayer is answered immediately. Prayer is the very breath of
religion. Twice a day regular prayer gives strength and courage.” In other words, you should pray with a sincere
and simple heart.
Temples and
churches and mosques have increased in numbers and thousands of people congregate
and pray now a days.But it Is doubtful how many pray with sincere devotion.
Bhagawan Sri Sri Sri Satya Sai Baba says, “Devotion is a complete surrender. It
is not a part time affair or something taken on credit.” It is said that God will
present himself before you if you weep for him sincerely for a few seconds. One should feel desperate and restless for
god like the person who wants to free
himself from drowning! Great sages and saints have gained salvation through
their earnest prayers and total surrender unto His lotus feet. Sant Rarmadas is
a classical example. He was imprisoned for
using the government money for the construction of a temple for his deity Sri
Rama. He prayed sincerely , in the jail, and underwent torture in the hands of
his tormenters. His prayer poured forth as beautiful songs expressing his agony
and the neglect of God. The prayer was so effective that Lord Rama with
Lakshmana came to the Tanisha and paid all the dues and got the release of
Ramadas!
Prayer and
devotion go together. One cannot be there without the other. The more you are
devoted, the more your prayers for the grace of God. Association with devotees,
satsang, and serving the great devotees of God are essential for His Grace! It
is necessary to be free from all worldly
thoughts and anxieties that disturb the mind while you pray. All dangers and
difficulties will vanish if the mind is
concentrated on the Almighty! When you throw all responsibilities on God he
takes over your duties and tasks! ‘Yoga kshemam vahamyaham” modern day prayers are for money, material
fame, power, position and success in mundane affairs! We are fools to ask for
such silly and transient things from the Lord who can give things much better.
Drowned as we are in this samsara sagara we pray for such silly things.
When Lord Brahma asked Ravana’s
brother Kunbhakarna what boon he wanted, he prayed for good sleep!! Such is the
nature of ordinary mortals! We should never pray for worldly possessions,
wealth, fame etc, On one occasion Sage Narada prayed Sri Rama to grant him
devotion or Bhakti—love, devotion and self surrender for his lotus feet.
Granting that ,Rama asked Narada if he wanted something else. Narada prayed that he should not be entangled
in His MAYA that fascinates the universe. Again Rama tempted Narada and asked
if he wanted something else. Narada said that he did not desire for anything
more.
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