After an exhausting morning session of prayer in the monastery, the novice asked the Head Monk: 'Do all these prayers that you teach us make God move closer to us?'
'I'm going to reply with another question,' said the Master.
'Will all the prayers you say make the sun rise tomorrow?'
'Of course not! The sun rises in obedience to a universal law regardless of how much I pray.'
'Well, there's the answer to your question. God is close to us regardless of how much we pray.'
The novice was shocked.
'Does that mean we need not pray? Are our prayers useless?'
'Absolutely not. If you don't wake up early enough, you will never get to see the sunrise. And although God is always close, if you don't pray, you will never manage to feel His presence.'
Just as physical exercise is necessary for a healthy body, daily prayer is necessary for a healthy soul. Prayer nourishes, conditions and revitalizes the soul for its optimum efficiency. Daily prayers develop a healthy relationship with God thus making us lead a spiritually fulfilling life. Prayer is very powerful and its effects can cause everlasting life changes. Prayer calms down our hearts and clears our vision. The chaos subsides and life seems to settle down around us as we pray.
'I'm going to reply with another question,' said the Master.
'Will all the prayers you say make the sun rise tomorrow?'
'Of course not! The sun rises in obedience to a universal law regardless of how much I pray.'
'Well, there's the answer to your question. God is close to us regardless of how much we pray.'
The novice was shocked.
'Does that mean we need not pray? Are our prayers useless?'
'Absolutely not. If you don't wake up early enough, you will never get to see the sunrise. And although God is always close, if you don't pray, you will never manage to feel His presence.'
Just as physical exercise is necessary for a healthy body, daily prayer is necessary for a healthy soul. Prayer nourishes, conditions and revitalizes the soul for its optimum efficiency. Daily prayers develop a healthy relationship with God thus making us lead a spiritually fulfilling life. Prayer is very powerful and its effects can cause everlasting life changes. Prayer calms down our hearts and clears our vision. The chaos subsides and life seems to settle down around us as we pray.
No comments:
Post a Comment