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Prayer
Some things are received with an effort. These cannot received without making any effort. What is got by hard work, has a limit. God is limitless. If He is met by making efforts, then God is within a limit and our effort has become greater than God and He will become shorter. Effort will be the price of God, then He will not be priceless.
This also does not mean that there is no need to toil. It has to be done. For doing meditation, recites of Naam do enormous hard work. There cannot be a greater toil than reciting His name:
Those who have meditated on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, and departed after having worked by the sweat of their brows.
But after doing hard labour, only so much is known that He is not met by toiling only. After doing hard work one comes to know about this fact.
We cannot meet the Lord by our own efforts, nor can we meet Him through services, He comes and meets us spontaneously.
God is met by His grace. He is met by His beneficence. Only prayer can be done for His beneficence. Relation with the world is conjoined due to desire only. Relation with God is achieved by prayer. As much predominant is the desire, so much effort will a person make. As much hard work a person does, so much will be prosper in the world. He goes forward. That path which takes a person to lofty heights in the world, the same path in spiritualism becomes a reason for his demoralisation.
In the world a liar goes forward. Dishonest makes very much progress. But in the religious world as a result of this progress due to dishonesty, he lags behind. The religious effort is required so that the prayer may originate in the heart and supplication may come out of the breath.
Meditation, penance, service, charity and daily recitation of Gurbani etc. are all to be done so that the prayer may originate. Out of the flower of prayer fruit in the form of God sprouts. However, many people consider the seed of their efforts everything and in this way the seed in the form of their efforts goes waste. The seed should get proper soil, water, manure and supervision, then it will bloom. To go about with a seed of hard work on one's palm is to waste the seed in vain. Uptil now saints with Divine knowledge (Brahm Giani) have said that they have attained God only due to His beneficence and compassion, although they have put in hard labour.
In Sikhism, prayer is essential after singing the glory of God, anecdote and daily recitation of Gurbani (Nitnem). The flower of prayer grows out of the branches of singing of the glory of God and Nitnem and the prayer is said after the recitation of Gurbani or completion of Kirtan. The meaning of prayer is that "God we have done what was possible for us to do. Now you show your beneficence. We have nothing by which we could evaluate You." Those, who put in very hard labour, pray only with holded hands.
We cannot command over that Immortal Power. We cannot put price. If we evaluate, He will come in our grip. He, who came in the grip, need not be worshipped. Limitless is worshipped and Limitless cannot be ordered.
O Nanak, no one can issue commands to the Lord Master; let us offer prayers instead.22.
If after doing penance, prayer is not done at the end, all will go waste. If after doing Nitnem and penance, prayer is born, that prayer never goes waste:
The prayer of the Lord's humble servant is never offered in vain.
Prayer when comes out of the breadth when every part of the body engrosses in the prayer, then through such a prayer God is met. Prayer is to be done while standing. When the hands are folded and humility originates inside, then such a prayer is accepted:
He Himself knows, He Himself acts, and He Himself does it right.
So Stand before Him, O Nanak, and offer your prayers.1.
Pressing my palms together, I offer my prayer; if it pleases You, Lord, please bless me and fulfill me.
Where a person considers himself completely helpless, nothing happens under control, whatever has been done, has not been evaluated then under such conditions prayer is born.
World is got with struggle, but God is met by His beneficence. Beneficence is gifted to the person who prays. If there is a worldly demand in the prayer, then that is also not a prayer. Gratitude should be expressed in the prayer. Grateful heart can perform prayer. One, who is full of grievances, prayer cannot come out from the core of this heart.
O God, You have given human life, resources to pass life, congregation, parents, air, water, limitless sunlight. I am worthless, I have no capability, You are compassionate and Bestower, all this is Your generosity. This thanks giving nature may remain, may God give such a intellect, etc.
When in such a manner the feeling of thanks springs up from within, then the prayer is accepted. Then from the flower of this prayer the fruit of union sprouts. Life becomes praise-worthy. Whenever persons having a feeling of thanks and benevolent instinct pray, God listens and bestows His proximity.
If a prayer is offered with truth and contentment,
the Lord will hear it, and call him in to sit by Him.1.
(SGGS, p 878)
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