Subodh's Learning Zone - Learning for Betterment

You are Here: Learning Zone> Spiritual>Prayer

Learning for Betterment

Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice: it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.

--William J Bryan

Visit Daly College, Indore

The Wheel of Life : Spiritual Zone

Prayer is an active effort to communicate with a deity or spirit, including a monotheist God, Saints, gods within a pantheon, or others; either to offer praise, to make a request, or simply to express one's thoughts and emotions. The words of the prayer may either be a set hymn or incantation, or a spontaneous utterance in the devotee's own words.

Prayer

The great spiritual traditions offer a veritable treasure trove of devotional acts. There are morning and evening prayers, graces said over meals, and reverent physical gestures. Christians bow their heads and fold their hands. Native Americans dance. Sufis whirl. Hindus chant. Orthodox Jews sway their bodies back and forth. Quakers keep silent.

Among these methodologies are a variety of approaches to understanding prayer:

The belief that the finite can actually communicate with the infinite;
The belief that the infinite is interested in communicating with the finite;
The belief that the prayer is listened to and may or may not get a response;
The belief that prayer is intended to inculcate certain attitudes in the one who prays, rather than to influence the recipient;
The belief that prayer is intended to train a person to focus on the recipient through philosophy and intellectual contemplation;
The belief that prayer is intended to enable a person to gain a direct experience of the recipient;
The belief that prayer is intended to affect the very fabric of reality itself;
The belief that the recipient expects or appreciates prayer

Praying has many different forms. Prayer may be done privately and individually, or it may be done corporately in the presence of fellow believers. Prayer can be incorporated into a daily "thought life", in which one is in constant communication with God. Praying throughout all that is happening during the day and seeking guidance as the day progresses. Ultimately prayer is a relationship between the created and the creator. There can be many different answers to prayer, just as there are many ways to "hear" the answers. Some may be audible, others may interpret healing, or specific physicals signs as answers to their prayer. How the answer is given and in what time frame it is given can be as varied as the requests themselves. Some outward acts that sometimes accompany prayer are: anointing with oil; ringing a bell; burning incense or paper; lighting a candle or candles; facing a specific direction (i.e. towards Mecca or the East); making the sign of the cross. One less noticeable act relating to prayer would be fasting.

A variety of body postures may be assumed, often with specific meaning (mainly respect or adoration) associated with them: standing; sitting; kneeling; prostrate on the floor; eyes opened; eyes closed; hands folded or clasped; hands upraised; holding hands with others; a laying on of hands and others. Prayers may be recited from memory, read from a book of prayers, or composed spontaneously as they are prayed. They may be said, chanted, or sung. They may be with musical accompaniment or not. Prayer may be unconscious. There may be a time of outward silence while prayers are offered mentally. Often, there are prayers to fit specific occasions, such as the blessing of a meal, the birth or death of a loved one, other significant events in the life of a believer, or days of the year that have special religious significance. Details corresponding to specific traditions are outlined below.

VISITORS

I request the visitors to drop an email with a message so that I can improve this Learning Zone Site. mailto:admin@subodhsinha.com

proactiv solution