From my earliest childhood, prayer came to me as naturally as breathing. Whenever I fell sick, felt threatened, or faced the anxiety of an upcoming exam, my instinct was to fold my hands and turn to God. Only later did I understand why this came so easily: because, as the Bhagavad Gita (15.7) reminds us, every soul is a part of God. Just as a child instinctively seeks comfort from a parent, we turn to the Divine for protection and guidance. It is the most natural connection one can make.
As I grew older, I began to realise the profound benefits of prayer. The first and foremost is the direct connection with God — instant and without barriers. In the Gita (7.16), Lord Krishna explains that four kinds of people approach Him in prayer: The distressed, the inquisitive, the seeker of wealth, and the wise. But how does God respond? Do we truly deserve His help? This is an important question. Consider a job seeker approaching a businessman. If the applicant lacks the required qualifications, the businessman turns him down. Prayer works in much the same way. God listens, but He responds according to what we deserve. Looking back at my school days, I often prayed before exams.
Did I deserve His help? Yes, because I maintained a regular relationship with Him. Every day I went to my grandmother’s Poojaghar, bowed before the deities, and received Prasad. Moreover, I applied myself diligently to my studies. Since I did my part, God did His. My results were usually good. Later, as I finished my education, the challenge was to stand on my own feet and not burden my family. Here, God’s generosity was overwhelming. He led me unexpectedly to the United States, where I studied under a professor who had just retired from a world-renowned company.
Although I had gone for a different specialisation, I somehow agreed to his offer to guide my Master’s studies. Jobs in that field were scarce, but miraculously, he recommended me for one in America. The education and work experience I gained there sustained my livelihood ever since. Truly, when prayers are sincere and deserving, God responds with mercy far greater than we imagine. Yet material success brought another struggle: a lack of peace, the absence of true sukha. Once again, I turned to prayer — this time more intensely. God began to guide me through intuitions, and I became receptive. Slowly, I gave up relying solely on myself, realising that dependence on ego only invited fears, anxieties, and endless cycles of thought.
Awareness of my own smallness and helplessness deepened, and wisdom began to replace pride. I saw how He micromanaged my life with precision. This made me wonder: Why do we, so small and limited, take on the burden of controlling everything ourselves? Why lose sleep worrying about the future when the Omniscient One is ready to help? Through prayer and spiritual practice, we secure peace, hope, and true happiness.Prayer is universal. From Sanatan Dharmis to Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs, every faith upholds it. Prayer can be spoken, whispered in the heart, written down, or offered silently with folded hands. I counsel my loved ones to cultivate this practice. God is ever eager to oblige. As the saying goes, “Take one step towards God, and He takes ninety-nine towards you.” Prayer is that first step.
The writer is a spiritual teacher and a popular columnist
