If God satisfies me in my sense gratification, then I love God. Otherwise I have no connection with Him. That is not devotion; that is business. – Srila Prabhupada.
Many of us, especially in India, have a regular routine of prayer. But each of our motivations for prayers are not necessarily the same. But unless our prayers are backed by the right motivation, we will be unable to attain a life of eternity, knowledge and bliss – free from material miseries. Who approaches God?
The Bhagavad Gita states, O best among the Bhäratas, four kinds of pious men begin to render devotional service unto Me-the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute. The ones in distress, and desiring wealth may be classified as materialists, while the latter two are seekers of liberation.
God is not our order supplier !! Anyone who goes to God and asks for some benediction is a pious man because he recognizes the supremacy of God. However, no one has to pray to God to ask for anything, because the all-knowing God is within his heart and is well aware when one is in distress or in need of money. As Srila Prabhupada points out, animals do not pray but still their bodily needs are taken care off. We also observe that there are many people who do not approach God but are still materially well situated. Therefore, to approach God merely to take care of our material desires is not a sign of intelligence.
Such prayers could lead to atheism.When we approach God for the fulfillment of our material desires, we lose faith in God if the desires are not fulfilled. As Srila Prabhupada points out “During the Second World War, many Germans went to war, and their wives and sisters went to church and prayed for the return of their husband, brother or son. But when they did not return, all of them became atheists: “Oh, there is no God. There is no God.” Sometimes it happens like that, that “We want God as my order-supplier.
If He does not supply the order, then He becomes no God. There is no God.” That is the defect of this kind of prayer.”
When prayers increase our burden ?
Material life is characterized by miseries like birth, death, old age and disease while spiritual life is the opposite. To attain spiritual life, one must be free of all material desires and develop unalloyed devotion to the Lord. Therefore, any prayer to the Lord for improving our material standard of life only results in increasing the duration of our material existence. Srila Prabhupada narrates a story in this connection. An old woman was carrying a bundle of dry wood through the forest. The bundle, which was very heavy, fell to the ground and the old woman could not lift it back on her head. She became very disturbed and began to call on God, saying, “God help me.” Suddenly God appeared and said, “What do you want?” She said, “please help me put this bundle back on my head.” So this is our foolishness. When God comes to give us some benediction, we simply ask Him to load us down again with all these material bundles.
How to become dear to God?
Krishna declares in the Bhagavad Gita that “Of these, the wise one who is in full knowledge in union with Me through pure devotional service is the best. For I am very dear to him, and he is dear to Me. All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he is sure to attain me, the highest and most perfect goal.
Ideal prayer ; The highest principle of religion is therefore to love God and engage in His devotional service by which we can be freed from all material miseries. The wise man realizes this and does not pray for relief from material miseries or for his personal interest. Rather, he prays to glorify God and inform others how great He is. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu therefore prays,”O Almighty Lord,I have no desire to accumulate wealth, nor to enjoy beautiful women. Nor do I want any number of followers. What I want only is the causeless mercy of Your devotional service in my life, birth after birth.”The Hare Kåñëa mahamantra also is a prayer which means,”My dear Lord Kåñëa, my dear Lord Räma, O energy of the Lord, Hare, kindly engage me in Your service.
