Prayer is a heart-to-heart-communication with God. When we pray, we turn to God, to uplift our minds and hearts. When we pray, we are drawn closer to God; we derive strength and direction from the Supreme Divine Energy. When we pray, we pray with faith that God responds to our prayers.
Prayer is a very personal experience. It fulfills our emotional and spiritual needs. It is also an acknowledgment that God is always present and, active in our lives. Hymns from scriptures and religious literature are a rich source for prayer and contemplation on God.
"The human race was born free, and yet, everywhere he seems to be in chains!" This race is perennially bonded in chains of misery and suffering, in greed and desire, in attachments and needs, in disease and death. There seems to be no escape. But, "Prayer and Faith" give the human mind great strength and confidence, a sense of well being, purpose and duty. Thus enabling one to face life and positively steer its course.
The effects of prayer are creative and cathartic to the mind and the body as well. According to one particular study, those who visited places of worship or offered prayers at least once a week, were happier, and had about 40 percent lower hypertension problems. While another study pointed out that regular visits to temples and places of worship and, participating in group prayers (Bhajans) would boost the immune system and would also increase one’s life span by seven to fourteen years!
Conscious thoughts like-"God protects us, God is watching us, God is always guiding us" can make one lead a less stressful life. The therapeutic value of prayer can be experienced by praying with faith, sincerity and devotion. "Prayer" is the answer to disorders of modern culture and the prevalent spiritual decay. Prayer is an ideal way to experience Ananda, or bliss, leading to the path of Bhakthi Maarga to achieve Moksha or salvation.
It is not mandatory to pray to God only when we are in stress or in trouble. Please have it as a practice to thank God for whatever he has provided you including the challenges which mould one and get best out of the person.
Also, it is a good habit to sacrifice time for God or in other perfect words, one must spare time for other activities as attaining bliss and reaching God is the purpose of our life. Money, material and family are important, the cycle of life ends where it began—the ultimate, GOD. So, praying to god and to sacrifice something to get his blessing is not bad, after all you are trying to get his attention towards you which will solve all of our problems. What else one needs other than having God’s attention on him?
