Why prayer?

Prayer is a spontaneous outpouring of the soul, a moment of surrender to 'Someone' beyond oneself. It is an acceptance of the human condition—the helplessness of being human in an inexplicable universe. It is a sense of connection to something greater than oneself. Prayer can come to our lips in any circumstance, however abject or elevating, in the weakest as well as the strongest of moments. It is the last resort of despair, a gesture of giving oneself up to whatever is to come, "Thy will not mine be done." It is the cry of grief at the harsh blow that has been struck, and we turn to the almighty in wordless agony, trying to make sense of what has happened. "It is exactly at these moments, when all hope has vanished, when the end draws near, that prayer has dominion."

Prayer can also come to us in the most celebratory of moments.

In moments of achievement, in reaching a summit after an arduous trail, or in receiving the unsolicited grace of God. Prayer can come too in gratitude for everything one has been blessed with and when tragedies or misfortunes have been averted. There is the prayer of commiseration or empathy for those less fortunate ."There but for the grace of God go I" Prayer can also be a tirade, a rage against the Almighty, which ultimately leads to faith, as in the story of Job. What greater prayer can there be than the prayer for forgiveness, born of guilt and true remorse, and the most selfless prayer of all, for those who have sinned against us? "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Whatever the motive of prayer, it comes from within the founts of one’s being as a cleansing agent for the thousand ills and grudges we harbour against the world and even ourselves.

Nature itself is a lesson in prayer. We see the mighty assemblage of branches, bark, and foliage of trees holding aloft their arms in supplication; we see the mountain peaks glistening white and red in the rays of the sun in motionless prayer at dawn; we see the carpets of grass and the wild flowers that bend with the wind and rain in respectful obeisance to an Unseen Entity. When nature itself appears to be in mindful prayer, we as human beings need to raise our hands in humility and prayer. Everything is a testament to God, not the least of which is man.