PPRAYER IS MAN'S GREATEST FORCE.
It can move mountains and shift the seas.
But how well the prayer is answered
depends on how well we pray.
In this article on prayer, we will see
how one should pray.
Step One:
Faith
Faith means: God listens, God answers. Somebody has aptly said, "When
we bend our knees to pray, God bends His ear to listen."
In 1994, youths asked Pramukh Swami a question during a retreat in
the Poconos Mountains, USA.
"How can we solve our problems ? By dhyan (meditation) or prayer
?"
Swamishri replied, "It depends upon our faith. If we have firm
faith and do either, we will surely find a solution. We should think,
'The prayer, I am offering is sincere. The God I am praying to is
true.'"
Faith is all-important in a prayer. In the Mahabharat, we can see
that Draupadi was rescued by Lord Krishna because of her faith. In
the time of Lord Swaminarayan, a devotee by the name of Naja Jogia
prayed with all his might and the Lord came to his rescue. In more
recent times, Yogiji Maharaj went unscathed after a vicious cobra
bite because of Shastriji Maharaj's faith in the Akshar Deri (a shrine
in Gondal dedicated to Gunatitanand Swami). Science has shown that
prayer does work. Why it works on the other hand remains a mystery
to science. But from the examples we have seen, the mechanism through
which prayer works is clear: faith in God. Faith is the common denominator
of all successful prayers. During 1985 Gujarat was facing a severe
drought. Many people inside and outside of Satsang were suggesting
a curtailment of the Gunatitanand Swami Bicentenary Festival which
was scheduled to last for 59 days in Amdavad. Such a decision was,
in fact, made in an important meeting of the Sanstha's trustees, senior
sadhus and Pramukh Swami. However, before the meeting concluded, Swamishri
gave his final word, "I have firm faith in God that it will rain.
I am praying to God everyday." There was an unshakeable power
and conviction in Swamishri's statement that stunned everyone. Soon
the monsoon months came and all eyes turned to the sky. July, no rain;
August, still no rain. September was dry too. Things were getting
rather desperate. The festival was scheduled to commence on October
22. On October 1, there was still no sign of rain. But something miraculous
happened on October 5. There was a downpour that the residents of
Amdavad would remember for years to come. Everyone was left saluting
Swamishri's faith. The festival went on as planned. It was a huge
success.
It is written, "A wish is when you hope someone will help. Faith
is when you know God will help." Swamishri's prayers are so full
of profound faith that God listens and God answers. Sometimes our
own prayer goes unanswered because we lack faith. A farmer was once
praying hard for the rains. But there was little success. He approached
a spiritual master for advice. The spiritual master told him, "Why
don't you get an umbrella first before you pray. Your problem is that
you lack faith in your own prayer."
Step Two: Understanding
What about prayers that don't work? According to step one, if we have
faith in God, our prayer never goes unanswered. In London during the
Mandir Mahotsav in 1995, Swamishri said, "It is not possible
that your prayer will go unanswered."
Sometimes we are asking the wrong questions. Swamishri frequently
says, "God always answers correctly. It is we who ask incorrectly."
Gunatitanand Swami points out in one of his sermons, "Das na
dushman Hari kedi hoi nahi, Jem karshe tem sukhaj thashe." (God
is not the enemy of his devotee. Whatever He does will work in the
devotee's favour). Thus, when we don't get something that we pray
for, it is for our own good.
A child, dazzled by the bright light of fire may want to touch it.
The child will cry when his mother stops him. But if the mother had
let him touch the fire, the child would have been injured. Similarly,
we are mere children before God and we do not always understand what
is best for us. So in asking for something, not in our best interest,
God may withhold our request.
This is vividly illustrated through the following poem:
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I might learn to humbly obey.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, so that I might enjoy life;
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing I asked for - but everything that I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among men, most richly blessed!
This is the type of understanding we should keep in prayer. Whatever
God does is for our betterment.
To attempt is our job, to grant success is God's choice.
With such an understanding we will not feel depressed or dejected
when our prayers seem to fail. God answers all our prayers - but in
His own mysterious way.
Step Three: Honesty
Honesty is still the best policy. Our prayer must be genuine. An honest
prayer flows from the heart, not from the mind.
A five year old child used to come alone daily to the mandir, sit
in front of the idols and bow his head in a concentrated and fiercely
sincere prayer. The mandir priest was surprised at the small child's
regularity and asked, "How do you know how to pray? You are still
a small child."
The kid replied, "I say my A, B, C's. Then I ask God to arrange
all those letters in the way that would please him. That is my prayer."
The priest was shocked, "You know son, I have been praying for
over 30 years. But I feel that your prayer will reach God before mine."
Prayers from the heart and not from the mind always work. Pramukh
Swami often says, "In prayer, it is not how well you arrange
the words but how well you arrange the heart that counts."
An honest and sincere prayer is bound to reach God. Moreover, it will
have a great impact on others. Gunatitanand Swami and a group of sadhus
were severely attacked by the local ruler, Uga Khuman, and his men,
when they visited his village in Saurashtra. Gunatitanand Swami blessed
his persecutors and prayed for them. He prayed for the childless ruler
to be blessed with a son. Several years later, the evil ruler's son
became a devotee of God and warmly invited the sadhus to his village.
Today, Pramukh Swami prays for the benefit of mankind wherever he
goes. A true prayer flowing from a pure heart is bound to have an
effect on others. Thousands of people have benefited from Swamishri's
honest and sublime prayers and that is why they continue to be blessed
by him.
Step Four: Endavour
It is written, "God helps those who help themselves." Aesops
also states, "It is vain to expect our prayers to be heard, if
we don't strive as well as pray." Pramukh Swami adds, "Prayer
only works when we do." So, the underlying message here is that
we should pray and work towards it.
Prayer and effort are the two wings of success. The more we understand
this fact, the less disappointed we will become if our prayer seems
to fail. Students expect to sail through examinations by offering
their annual prayer. Despite all their good intentions, success still
eludes them due to lack of effort on their part. Pramukh Swami teaches
youngsters to put in sincere effort and then pray.
