Our devotion to God is not for begging or for calling him in pain; rather, we should be prepared and armed with curiosity to think: who made these so many beautiful flowers to blossom forth? Who splashed the rainbow colours in the sky to decorate it? Who makes the heart throb? Who gives light to our eyes and who makes the rhythm of our breathing? Who finally shuts breathing, and brings it to an end? Who brings us in to this world, and who calls us back from it? We have not come out of our own volition nor do we want to go back as per our wishes. It is someone else whose will prevails. Whose is the highest will? When we are ready to offer our Pranaam to Him out of faith and reverence when we are ready to thank Him for His abounding grace, then that is prayer. This is a special and a specific prayer.

When we see and read a number of prayers in the Vedas, there are some which oblige us to bow our head in reverence. Look at the following:

“O God in the form of light, descend into my heart. Grant me Your light, Your knowledge, Your grace. Then all of us should be filled with joy. You descend into my heart as light for me, my family and my society so that I overflow with joy. My Master, my Protector, always protect me; Lord; awaken us again and again so that we are not lost in the world. Even if You have to strike to awaken us, kindly do awaken us so that we awake, we may live rightly in this world, otherwise we are ready to commit all kinds of sins. We may or may not get the company of someone else but let us feel that You are always with us.”

God is always with us. He is a part of our Existence

A Jewish Faqir wrote a number of letters to God and called the Master in many ways. He gave a strange description of it all. He said, “A man calls God to ask something from Him. He thinks that, even without his asking, his God is always around. He narrates his experience that every day as he went for a stroll on sea-shore looking at the sea-waves he thought as to what power was making the waves move. Seeing the particles of sand he asked who their maker was. Then seeing the sun rising in the sky he asked wherefrom the light was coming. Then I called, “O Master of the Sky! When I turned back and found four foot-prints on the sand.” The Faqir writes that there were four and  two footprints as he turned back to look. Then I called, “O Father! Are you walking with me?” I heard a sound, “Yes, My son! I am with you everywhere. There is no place in the world where I am not there. You are never alone.”

The Faqir says that he heard a voice and felt that he was not alone in the crowd of the world. One day it so happened that I was suffering; I was very much worried; I went to sea-shore and called out. My voice came back after hitting the surroundings and the sky. I turned back to see as to how many footprints were there on the sand. That day I saw only two footprints and not four. Then I started calling out again: Where are you? I went on calling for many days. Again I returned and called Him and saw that there were 4 footprints and not two. When I was suffering you deserted me. The members at home were asking me and all of my relations abandoned me. My friends, too, turned their back on me. When I was alone and suffered, I called: O God! The day I was left alone in the world, that day I turned back and saw that there were only two and not four footprints on sand. This means, You abandoned me. If You were with me, then tell me why there were only two and not four footprints. Were those footprints Yours or mine? And if they were Yours, then where were my footprints? And if they were mine, then where were Your footprints?

God is not Far away from Us

It is said that he heard a voice from the sky, saying, “My son! Those two footprints were Mine, and not yours, and you were in My lap. I was carrying you in My lap. When no one stands by you then I live with you as your strength. You remember Me a good lot in your suffering. I also remember you. The world may or may not stand by you, in darkness your shadow may desert you, but I am not far from you. I am always with you.” In fact, God is always with us, is a part of our existence.

We get as much of an opportunity to receive His grace as we call Him in a soulful voice. Bismil said:

Jhuke tere age woh sar mangta hoon,

Tujhe dekhne ki nazar mangta hoon,

Na ghar mangta hoon, na zar mangta hoon,

Na ho jaoon besudh jalwe se tere,

Ilahi mein aisi nazar mangta hoon.

I do not want anything else. Let my head bow before You, and when I raise my eyes to see You, let my heart experience Your presence. Meera also said that He is not far from those who want to see Him. He resides in every heart.

Auron ka piya pardes basat hai likh-likh bheje pati,

Mera piya hridaya mein basat hai goonj kare din-rati.