War and prayers

Confronted with this predicament, quot;storming heaven through prayerquot; services for peace are on the increase everyday. Various groups are organising multi-religious prayer services, where people of different faiths come together to beseech their god/s or goddesses for the peace that seems so elusive. Neither politics nor economics is their concern. Right now it is peace through prayers.

The response to such services has been overwhelming and will continue to be so for some time to come. There is thus a spurt in quot;demandquot; for prayers and it is almost certain that the cessation of war will also see their end.

Prayer has almost always proved a potent tool in instances of urgency, even if despite prayers, election and examination results have turned out negative. Often, even if prayer was not able to ward off evil or crisis, it has certainly offered solace to those caught in those circumstances.

Unfortunately, prayer has often been thought of as something that one takes recourse to in times of crisis or indeed for gaining favours from the Almighty for oneself or for one8217;s own. Prayer or the One to whom our prayers are directed, in such cases, becomes nothing more than a dispenser of commodity. We rush to the temple, church or dargah when problems seem to get out of our hand.

Our God is not someone with whom we are in constant touch and have built up a relationship of love but someone we approach only when a need arises. Here God and prayer become dispensable objects of life, much like soaps, razor blades or clothes, which are disposed of once their utility is over. Thus, once peace is achieved, prayer can be dispensed with.

People are also often heard bartering and bargaining with the one above. They make promises that if their prayers would be heard, they would make substantial offerings in return. As if they were capable of giving something to the one they have been pleading for favours. This is a limited and a totally misconceived idea of prayer. Prayer is a relationship with the divine, which is sometimes expressed in words and often in silence. Prayer is constantly living in the awareness of God8217;s presence. This prayer is a habit of life. It is not a habit of perpetually presenting a list of our needs or those of our loved ones.

Prayer actually gives us the courage to change things that we can, to accept things we cannot change and the wisdom to know the difference. Prayer teaches us to remain in the divine presence for the sheer joy of it, without expecting anything in return. It is not an activity that is to be performed at a particular time for a specific purpose but rather something that flows spontaneously out of God8217;s all-pervading nearness around us.

This will inevitably make our very life a prayer and leave us at peace with ourselves and with others. In such a life there is no place for aggression, oppression and exploitation. On the contrary, it will only emit vibrations of peace and love. The latter, not just for our country and borders but also for our enemy. Will prayer services for peace then not become futile?

Top