Power of Prayer

“When life pushes you down on your knees, you are in the perfect position to pray.”

— Justin Bieber

Introduction

Prayer! I was surfing through some finance magazines. At times, you get something at a place where you least expect it. In the middle of a magazine that claims to be meant for wealth creation (Investors India — August 2020 edition), I came across a beautiful article that caught my attention, possibly because I was already pre-disposed favorably towards the subject.

The article was titled “Scientific Proof of Miracles of Prayer.” Maybe I got tempted to confirm my own beliefs through the article (Theory of Confirmation Bias!), but it did get me thinking about this as the possible subject of my first blog post.

Incidentally, it also reminded me of a line that my brother has been using as his constant WhatsApp status for years. It goes like this:

“The first cordless phone was created by God and it’s called Prayer. It needs no recharge and it never goes out of network!”

Prayer: The Lender of Last Resort

In the finance world, they use a term ‘lender of last resort’. Spoken in the context of lending support to someone facing insurmountable challenges or feeling helpless, to me, Prayer too is the lender of last resort.

I am so mentally dependent upon the truth in the power of prayer that I feel curious as to what atheists lean on when they feel helpless. Buddha, in his Four Noble Truths, said that all existence is Dukkha (misery). That being so, one could reasonably believe that everyone in this realm of existence faces challenges and suffering.

Who does an atheist then turn to for a ray of hope when there is no other solution in sight?

What Exactly Is Prayer?

To many of us, it is sitting deep in some sort of meditation and seeking divine intervention in solving some or all of our problems.

I quote Sadhguru in dispelling this gross misinterpretation. He says Prayer is not an act; it’s a quality. Becoming prayerful means stepping down from the self-assumed high pedestal and taking a side seat (Upasana), seeing that your presence here is so minuscule and remaining grateful. I couldn’t find a better definition.

He goes on to say:

“Prayer is like telling God what to do (asking for fulfilment of desires), Meditation is to shut up (within us). When you shut up, all that needs to happen to you will happen to you.”

The Importance of Praying at All Times

The other mistake we often make is to turn prayerful only in times of need. My father used to chant this in his daily prayer:

“Dukh mein sumiran sab kare sukh mein kare na koy, jo sukh mein sumiran kare tho dukh kahe ko hoye.”

Translation: “In anguish everyone prays to Him, in joy does no one. To one who prays in happiness, how can sorrow come?”

Again, what one rather needs to do is to remain prayerful at all times.

Prayer, Problems and Happiness

Prayer does not guarantee the absence of problems either. It does not guarantee eternal happiness.

In any case, as I read somewhere, happiness is not the absence of problems. Rather, it is the ability to deal with the problems.

At the same time, continuance of suffering does not mean our prayers are not being answered. It only means that the answer is wait and that God has better plans for us.

I also quote (and encourage the readers to watch) a TED speech that I came across: “Real Talk: The Power of Prayer” — Channel: Switch Youth.

A part of the speech lays bare three specific questions and their possible answers, summarized as follows:

1. What Is Prayer?

Like any other relationship which doesn’t remain effective without two-way communication, the relationship with God requires communication in the form of Prayer.

2. How Is It Powerful?

It is powerful because when you pray, you choose not to rely on your own power but ask God to step in.

3. What Should We Do When Our Prayers Are Not Being Answered?

Keep praying.

The speech ends with two profound statements:

• Prayer is not a wishlist to get what we want. It is a humble invitation to God, asking for what we need but letting Him decide.
• PUSH means Pray Until Something Happens.

Should We Ask God for What We Want?

There is another debate about Prayer which pertains to one school of thought discouraging wish fulfilment.

From what I have read so far (and for brevity’s sake, everything cannot be quoted or reproduced here), I personally believe that it’s absolutely in order to submit specific requests.

Not just that, one video I watched somewhere actually suggested God can grant you your wishes only if you ask and thus strongly recommended asking earnestly. If so, I would tend to wonder who else you would ask if not God! Asking anyone else would most likely not get you anything.

I rather discourage asking someone else. That’s not just based on my own experience but also on what I read somewhere in Kabir ke Dohe:

“Maangan maran samaan hai maange mile na bheekh, maangan se marna bhala, yahi Satguru ki seekh.”

Translation: “Begging is like perishing, none should go imploring; it is better to die than beg, this is pure Guru’s teaching.”

This is written in the context of begging and not seeking help. I am not discouraging seeking help from friends and well-wishers, but I would definitely advise against resorting to it until you are left with no other option, as also against doing it habitually.

Work hard and Pray is what I would endorse.

Prayer includes submitting your wishes to the Almighty and leaving it thereafter for Him to decide!

The Serenity Prayer

As the Serenity Prayer goes:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

That is the most ideal prayer to my mind.