Mistakes committed with respect to prayers

1. Praying without appropriate use of kriyamāṇ-karma

        It is inappropriate to pray and seek God’s help in doing things that can be decided by taking decisions with the help of the intellect or use our kriyamāṇ-karma (Wilful actions, that is, according to one’s own free will) appropriately. This is because it uses up our sādhanā (Spiritual practice). Here is one example. A lady-seeker went for a satsang. Upon reaching there she remembered that she had not locked the door while leaving her house. Although it was possible for her to go home immediately, she did not. Instead, she prayed – ‘O God ! You take care of my home now’. Here, correct kriyamāṇ-karma was in her hands, yet she troubled God unnecessarily. This was inappropriate and also harmful from the perspective of sādhanā.

2. Seekers praying for removal of worldly problems

        The aim of seekers is God realisation. Problems of daily life are part of Māyā (Great Illusion). Seekers should not pray for solutions to their problems of day-to-day life. By praying like this, sādhanā is used up unnecessarily and the seeker moves away from his main goal of God realisation.

3. ‘Most people pray to God for fulfilment of a wish; however, they forget to express gratitude when He fulfills the wish’

– H.H. Dr. Athavale (Māgh Krushṇa 3, Kaliyug Varsh 5110 [12th February 2009])

Reference : Sanatan’s Holy Text, ‘Prayer – Importance and Examples

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