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"Why do we need to pray?", he asked me.


Many a times we try to pray, we say to ourselves, 'ok today I'm going concentrate like never before'. We start praying...sometimes we feel like we're talking to a wall, sometimes we're wondering if we're saying the right things or not...so who are we praying to? What are we praying about? How are we praying? What is prayer?

Prayer is talking to God... we've  heard that a lot, since we were kids thanks to our catechism classes. And yet how is it that we tend to forget that?

"Sheena, why do we need to pray to God?", he asked me, "isn't it enough that we do good deeds because that in itself is a prayer." I was quite taken aback when an uncle I know, my dad's good friend, asked me this. There was reason for his doubt though. My dad was going through a bad phase then and uncle couldn't understand how God did not ensure that my dad's troubles vanished, even though my dad went to church and prayed very often and is a good man.

"If there weren't troubles, would we remember God?", I asked him. I think every person goes through some bit of troubles and struggles in life only to come out of it stronger than he/she was before and also realizes at the end of it all how great God's love is for him/her . Besides God only gives you troubles you can handle.

"Anyway to answer your question", I said, "doing good deeds is important, but even more so important is the need to pray". I had no clue how I was going to convince him, but that is when the definition of prayer came to my mind - "Prayer is talking to God". And I was determined to help him understand its importance.

"Uncle..", I began, " your daughter is a very sweet girl. Imagine, she grows up to be the best daughter in the world - she was a brilliant student, found a great job and made sure she took care of you and your needs with the money she earned. Then she found love and, to your disappointment, he  worked at the North pole as a scientist. But of course you are happy for your daughter. So she gets married to him and moves to the north pole. As for her job, well ... since she wasn't a scientist and job opportunities are limited in the north pole (please excuse my ignorance for the sake of the story) she found something for herself....ok lets say she sold refrigerators to the Eskimos!!! She was simply the best at her work and now earned double or lets say ten times over for increasing the sale of refrigerators in the north pole region !

And did she forget her father? No! She still sent you birthday cards for your birthday, took care of all your needs and now that she's earning a lot she tells you to stop working as she had enough money to take care of you. So she sends you gifts for Christmas, helps you with your loans, medical expenses, house rent, etc. etc. and does all the duties of a daughter beautifully well and even gives to charity! Good deeds indeed!!

But that's it. She does all those things and yet never calls you. Never spoke to you once since she was married. Did she not do good deeds? Did she not fulfil her duties as a daughter? And yet would you not feel hurt that your daughter does not call you. Would you not miss her? Would you not be waiting to hear her voice? For her to call you to tell you 'dad, I'm coming home to see you' ?

That's how it is with God. Ofcourse doing good deeds is going to make Him so proud of you. But more importantly He would love to listen to you talk. He would love for you to talk to Him everyday coz He's crazy about you ..and that's prayer - talking to God!!

                                       

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