Essence of prayer

The topic of ‘essence of prayer’ and ‘why people pray’ is indeed a hackneyed one. It is no secret that from very early times, man has been drawn to the acceptance of a Higher Power and has chosen to worship, pray and meditate to Him.

Whether it was the Nature gods (like Surya, Vayu, Usha whom the Aryans chose to worship), or the Hindu pantheon of gods (be it Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu), man realised that there are different paths to reach God and that God is called by different names as per the religion, but basically and technically he understood that God is one.

Indeed, a person who says a daily early morning personal prayer is usually in a more comfortable, positive and confident frame of mind than a person who refuses to believe in personal prayers. A person who denies the presence of God is like a person who has partaken of a splendid dinner, and after eating well, exclaims there is no cook!

How can one deny the world’s beautiful wonders and miracles? The undulating mountains, blue, glistening lakes, awesome animals, flowers of several hues. There is obviously a greater Power to co-ordinate Nature’s wonders. So, to say creation happens by chance is not rational.

Indeed, a person who believes, prays and meditates on the omniscient God is always in a more advantageous position than one who relies only on one’s own knowledge, gut and instinct.

A person who doesn’t believe in God is building a case against himself because he has no one to turn to in times of trauma and travail. He misses out a lot on what life has to offer and he has to face life’s challenges alone. Strangely and ironically, it usually takes a major crisis or emergency in an atheist’s life for him to open his eyes and realise that God is, in all probability, one’s safest anchor.

 Indeed, prayer, which is a conversation with God, gives one the strength and courage to face the world. Mata Amritanandamayi has said, “Once you become the offering, once your whole being is in a state of constant prayer, then what is left is not you, but God. What is left is love. Prayer can perform this miracle. Crying can accomplish this feat. What is the purpose of meditation?

It is to become love. It is to obtain oneness. Thus, there is no better meditation technique than praying and crying to the Lord.” Amen to that.