1. Is it necessary to pray?
Ans: Of course, it is! It expresses gratitude to the one who gives us life. It connects us to a Power and helps us overcome suffering, just as it unites us with the Divine as we experience peace, joy, and bliss.
2. Does God answer our prayers?
Ans: In the final analysis, yes. It all depends upon the sincerity of our prayers and our love for the Divine. However, on a day to day basis, we are governed by the Law of Karma that is constituted by God and we are rewarded based on our actions.
3. Which prayer is better – silent or vocal?
Ans: It doesn't matter as long as we are able to connect with God. Whatever works best, we should do that. However, as we evolve in our prayer, a silent prayer is the most effective.
4. Is it better to pray alone or in a group?
Ans: In the beginning, we must pray in a group. But once we develop a relationship with God, it is better to pray alone. This makes our prayer intimate and personal.
5. What to do when the mind wanders during prayer?
Ans: It is common for the mind to wander during prayer. We must not get upset or disturbed but gently bring the mind back to focus on the prayer. Slowly, but steadily, we will overcome this.
6. What is the best time to pray?
Ans: While it is ok to pray at any time of the day, the most effective time is when there is no disturbance. Thus, it is often believed that prayers before dawn or sunrise are the most effective.
7. Are prayers performed in temples, churches, or mosques more effective?
Ans: In our journey of life, we must begin by going to our religious institution where we pray in groups. This helps us build our faith, just as we experience the vibrations of so many people praying together. Once we spiritually evolve, where we pray doesn't matter.
8. Is it wrong to ask the Divine for something in prayer?
Ans: Every child asks God to fulfil his or her wishes. Then, as we grow, we go to God for the resolution of our problems. This is natural. The ultimate goal of prayer, however, is to lovingly communicate with God, not asking for anything but accepting everything that God gives to us.
9. When we pray, what should we do? Close our eyes, bow down?
Ans: As long as we are sincere in our prayer and clear in our communication, what we do when we pray hardly matters. Our consistent connection with God will lead us forward in our journey to God.
10. How do we know the Divine Power is listening to our prayers?
Ans: Generally, humanity doubts how God could listen to the hundreds of prayers of billions of people. Those who realize that God lives within each one of us, also realize that it is simple for the Divine. Every prayer that we utter is known to the Almighty.
11. Why doesn't Divinity, sometimes, give heed to our prayers?
Ans: While we may feel that God is not listening to our prayers, actually He is! The Divine Power answers our prayers in 4 ways –
When the idea is not right, God says, 'No!'
When the time is not right, God says, 'Slow!'
When we are not ready, God says, 'Grow!'
But, when everything is ready, God says, 'Go!'
Then miracles happen and the impossible becomes possible. However, we are impatient, and we want God to respond like an instant camera or a fast food joint. We want instant results for our prayers, and we want what we desire, without trusting God.
12. How can God listen to billions of prayers?
Ans: Since God is within each one of us, He can listen to each of our prayers. Unfortunately, we do not realize this truth, although every religion advocates it.
The Bible says, 'The kingdom of God is within you.'(Luke 17:20,21)
The Upanishads say, 'Not this, Not this. Thou art That!'
The Quran says, 'He is with you wherever you are.' (Surah 57:4)
13. Is it necessary to have a priest to pray?
Ans: As children, don't we need a teacher to guide us? So also, in our relationship with God, we initially need a religious master. Once we build a connection, then, more than a religious mentor, we need a Spiritual Master to help us go forward towards God.
14. Will our sins be forgiven if we pray?
Ans: Prayer builds our relationship with God. It gives us the strength to face the trials and tribulations of life. It also teaches us to live righteously with ethics and values. All this helps us battle our sins. However, the ultimate goal of prayer is unification with the Divine, which is the way to be liberated from all sin.
15. How often should we pray?
Ans: Some religions recommend that prayer must be done 5 times a day. Others prescribe it to be done before each meal and when we wake up and before we go to sleep. But prayer need not be restricted or counted. The best form of prayer is to be constantly connected with God, just like a SIM card is constantly connected to its network. Therefore, the best form of prayer is to feel God's Divine presence at all times. This is known as Yoga.
16. Does prayer have a purpose?
Ans: Unfortunately, people don't understand the purpose of prayer. This is because their prayers have no meaning and they don't understand what they say when they pray. In reality, the purpose of prayer is to connect with God, to communicate with the Almighty and to ultimately unite with the Divine.
17. What is the best way to pray?
Ans: The most effective form of prayer is transcending the senses of the body, the wandering of the mind, and the constant erupting of the ego. A prayer that transcends the three and communicates with the Divine, is undoubtedly the best form of prayer.
18. Is it necessary to pray before we eat?
Ans: Not many people pray in gratitude before a meal. However, think about it – shouldn't we be grateful for the food we eat? Should we not be thankful for a healthy body and digestive system? Should we not have gratitude for the energy and life that the food gives us? Then why should we ask if it is necessary to pray before we eat? Praying before we eat is also a magical way of systematically remembering God. When we make it a habit to pray before breakfast, before lunch and dinner, then not only are we showing gratitude but we are also creating a process wherein we are praying to God. Sometimes, we human beings get so distracted in this world that we forget to pray. Therefore, whether praying to God before we eat or praying before we get off from our bed in the morning or praying before we sleep in the night, these are great ways to make it a habit to pray frequently.
19. If God doesn't answer prayers, then why should we pray?
Ans: Prayer is not a scheme or method to fulfil our desires or wishes. When we pray, we connect and communicate with the Creator. We may seek in entreaty what we wish, but we must trust in Divine providence. He knows best what is good for us. God has created the Law of Karma that answers our actions with appropriate reactions. However, praying gives us the grace and the right thoughts so that our actions are good and therefore, our future destiny is better. Praying to God makes us better human beings, which eventually makes us achieve what we dream of.
20. Which God should we pray to?
Ans: We may pray to any God to begin with. Religion is only a kindergarten to spirituality. Ultimately, we must realize that God is one. God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient. God is the very life that is within us. Therefore, it doesn’t matter which God we pray to as long as we pray sincerely. We will build a strong connection with God which will ultimately takes us in quest of God.
21. If God is within, then why should we pray to a God that is outside?
Ans: Those who pray to a God outside do so because they do not realize that God is within. Therefore, we may need to have a name and form of the Divine because as children, it is difficult to comprehend a God that is formless. Slowly and steadily, as we evolve on our spiritual journey, we realize God's Divine presence within us. Thereafter, there is no need to pray to a God, with name and form, that is outside. Some, however, even after realization, continue to follow the old methods of praying they were initially taught. But since they have evolved on their spiritual journey after the realization of the Truth, they no longer 'pray to' but rather 'pray through' their God that they believed in. They pray to the omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent Divine Power ‘through’ their God with a name and form.
22. Why is it that some people don't pray to God?
Ans: As we grow up, our family, our society, our friends inculcate in us values and belief-systems that either make us believers or atheists. If we are born in a family of atheists, then chances are we grow up to be atheists. These days there are many agnostics. They are not sure of the existence of God. However, the majority of humanity prays to God.
23. Why do people who pray still suffer?
Ans: We suffer because of our own actions. These may be actions of the present or of the past. If not of a distant past, it may be even due to the actions of some previous birth. God has constituted several Universal Laws. One such