LEARNING TO PRAY TO CREATE MY DESTINY

In the past I often prayed like a beggar or a commando. A beggar because my needs were endlessly pleading and a commando because I attempted to control the one I prayed to, bribing Him with several offerings; ironically here I transformed my creator into a mendicant.

In both the above cases my prayer was an arm twister since it was either a supplication or a compelling demand.

Persistent humans like me are like children suffering from bouts of cough and yet demanding an ice-stick. It goes without saying that our Father knows what is best for us and so our pleas fall on deaf ears and instead of what pleasures our tongue; we are given bitter syrup. But then there perhaps lies a cure.

It was then that I moved to another perspective and questioned the very need for prayers.

Perhaps after a lot of cogitation I heard a little whisper which softly told me that prayer was essential to help me to talk to my Creator; thanking Him for whatever I had and requesting Him for strength to face situations placed at different levels in life with humility and courage.

I then had to groove it into my mind that the One who was capable of making such an intricate machine called man, had to be an Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent personality.

And so I came to the conclusion that prayers weren’t useless.  They had strength in their words and if I were to look at the beginning of creation, I could (of course not allowing the ever changing researches to clog my mind) clearly see that this world was created with words.

If then, I was a creation made in the image of the creator surely I too could create a fulfillment of my desires with my words. The world was now in my tongue and praying hands.

So now, all what I needed to do was to shift my perspective and transform myself from being a beggar, to becoming a king of my destiny.

So I managed to shut my voice box which persistently uttered cries and pleas and instead opened a box of assertions.

In times of trial, I began not to wail in self-pity but instead prayed a thanksgiving for all the good bestowed upon me and also for all that which was going to be replaced with goodness. I also realized that any suffering that came my way was due to my negligence, physical or otherwise. Mind well, I was not being fatalistic. I was not here allowing the karma theory to intercede but only accepting neglect of my spiritual protection.

I now realized that my life had no need to slip into the highs and the lows like the tides of the oceans. However I could not turn a blind eye to low tides in my life. They were there and it was obvious because I could see them. What was important was that I could now understand their emergence in my life and realize that their entry in my private zone was because I had failed to shut some windows which had kept open a passage for problem situations to come and uncomfortably flash in my eyes.

I realized that my life depended on the steps I took and my next step therefore was again the one that I would choose because I was going to be the creator of my destiny.  

A prayer then was that which offered me a release and a comfort of peace in silent communion.

However, today I make it a point to remember that every prayer of mine is answered; though perhaps not in the way I expect it to be. So now I dutifully humble myself in His care with the principle: