JOIN USMy friend, who was abroad, received a message that her mother was gravely ill. She took the next plane back and during her journey pleaded with God to keep her alive till she reached home. Unfortunately, this wish was not granted. It was a grievous blow to her. It made her vow that she would “never again pray to a non-existent God”. Her reaction raises two important questions. Why do we pray? What is the value of prayer?
All major religions emphasise the necessity of prayer. Down the ages, we see that prayer has played an important role in the lives of saints and spiritual masters. This did not ensure them trouble-free lives, for they had to face many struggles and make many sacrifices. This is proof that prayer is not a matter of listing needs or asking for favours. The function of prayer is not to influence God – its benefits are quite different in nature.
As those who have prayed sincerely will tell you, it is in prayerful moments that we come into touch with the Supreme Creator. We see that while it takes only a moment to destroy, we are unable to breathe life into the smallest creature. We get a glimpse of the Immanent and the mystery that lies at the heart of things. There is so much we are ignorant of that we need the faith that prayer gives us to move forward.
Prayer also gives us the strength to face our difficulties and disappointments. Taking time to reflect on them is also prayer. We can go over our actions, uncover mistakes, correct them and continue doing our best.
Prayer, besides, is a form of love. When we pray for peace or for happiness of our loved ones, we experience positive feelings. Our desire to make the world a better place gets strengthened. We are influenced to choose the good rather than what is wrong and destructive. Our hearts are lighter and we become better human beings.
Mahatma Gandhi pointed out, “Prayer is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weaknesses. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart. Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.”