WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

 

                WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

          We should pray to survive both physically and spiritually. Our life is a gift of God. It is his creation. He has fixed its functions. It is he who  has decided its survival span. From the time we are born to the time we cease to be , we are dependent on His will. He is our Master. We are his subordinates.  Our duties have been chalked out by him. We have to perform them efficiently and faithfully. On His part, God provides us with all the requisite means. When these means cease or decline, we approach Him through prayers. We present to Him the list of our necessities with the request to fulfil them so that we may continue to perform our duties without any hindrance. He does not ignore our request for making us re-equipped with essential facilities for the performance our specific duties. This situation makes us happy and also inspires us to offer our  gratitude to God. Consequently, we have a healthy body, a calm mind and a blissful soul. In the light of these facts, prayer becomes our moral duty to perform. In fact, it is beneficial to be grateful to God every moment of our life. Such an approach is like prevention is better than cure.

            Here are some great thoughts about prayer:

*Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God.

 

*Certain thoughts are prayers, full of gratitude to benevolent God.

 

* Prayers are mostly our wishes, desires and supplications turned God-ward.

 

* The 16^th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) said : “ I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming   conviction  that I had nowhere else to go,    My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.

 

* God dwells far off from us, but prayer brings him down to our earth, and links his power with our efforts. ----French author Madam Gasparin  (1813-94).

 

*It is as natural and reasonable for a dependent creature to apply to its Creator for what it needs, as for a child to solicit the aid of a parent who is believed to have the disposition and ability to bestow what it needs. ---American clergy Alexander Archibald (1772-1851).   

 

            Finally, this famous quote: Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life.

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G.R.Kanwal

14 July 2025