Children, prayer is the best spiritual practice for opening the heart to God and creating an emotional bond with him. It is like a bridge connecting the jivatma and Paramatma. When a young child returns home from school, he throws down his school bag, runs to his mother, and enthusiastically tells her about what happened in school, the stories his teacher told, and the sights he saw on his way back home.
In the same way, prayer helps to cultivate a heartfelt relationship with God. Telling Him everything helps us unburden our heart. We must cultivate the attitude that God is our sole refuge. We must consider Him our best friend, one who is always with us, in need and otherwise.
When we open our heart to God, we unknowingly soar to the peaks of devotion. But not many people today have understood this benefit of prayer. For many, prayer means begging for the fulfilment of desires. This is not loving God. It is loving the objects of our desire. Nowadays, there are people who even pray that others be harmed. A devotee should never think of hurting others.
“God, may I do no wrong. Please give me the strength to forgive others for the wrong they do. Forgive me for my sins. Please bless everyone with goodness.” Such ought to be our prayer. Praying like this gives us peace.
The vibrations issuing from such prayers can even purify the atmosphere. A pure atmosphere has a benign effect on the lives of people. The ideal prayer is one for the welfare of the world. Selfless prayer is the need of the hour.
When we pluck a flower for puja, knowingly or unknowingly, we are the first to savor its beauty and fragrance. When we pray for the well-being of the world, our heart becomes expansive. Our prayers also benefit the world.
Just as a candle melts while giving light to others, a true devotee longs to make personal sacrifices in order to help others. Their goal is to gain a mind that is willing to forget personal difficulties in a bid to make others happy. People with such minds need not go anywhere in search of God. God will come in search of them. God will always be with them as succor and strength.
To remember God, you have to forget. To be really focused on God is to be fully and absolutely in the present moment, forgetting the past and the future. That alone is real prayer. Try to pray until your heart melts and flows down as tears.
It is said that the water of the Ganges purifies whoever takes a dip in it. The tears that fill the eyes while one is remembering God have tremendous power to purify one’s mind. These tears are more powerful than meditation. Such tears are verily the Ganges.
God is compassion. He is waiting at the door of every heart. He is an uninvited guest everywhere, because whether you call Him or not, He is there. Whether you are a believer or a nonbeliever, He is within you uninvited.
Behind every form, behind everything, God is hiding. He beautifies things and makes them what they are. He is the hidden formula of life. But He won’t reveal Himself to you. You won’t feel Him unless you call Him. Prayer is the invitation.
The writer is a world-renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian