Prayer and Effort
PRAYER and effort go cheek by jowl.
We Pray to God for what? For the success of our endeavors. Should we wish
for a thing, we must try for it, and alongside our efforts to achieve it
pray that God may grant it. Prayer is just the last weapon and a sure one
that comes to our aid. Where all human efforts fail, prayer succeeds.
..... More things are wrought by prayer, than this world dreams of.
TENNYSON
As a bird cannot fly on one wing only nor a chariot
move on one wheel, so effort and prayer must go together if we want success
in all our ventures. One of them by itself can achieve nothing. As long
as a person is not fully Divinized, or in other words does not become a
conscious co-worker with the Supreme Power by understanding His Will, he
cannot do without endeavor for God helps those who help themselves.
A mere prayer without endeavor seldom bears fruit. Just take the instance of a boy who is late for school. If he were to sit down on the roadside to pray, he would be running against time. If he wants to gain time, he must run and it is possible that even if he be late his teacher may forgive him because of the effort he has made to reach there in time. To have a ruling passion for an objective and to work hard for achieving the same is the right type of prayer in the truest sense of the word. Effort should be combined with prayer, for mere lip service to reach the goal will not help much. In a sincerity one should pray and indeed the very striving for a thing with heart and soul is the greatest prayer and is bound to fructify. In all trials and tribulations, one must try to rid himself of his weariness and pray to God that He may help him in his endeavors. This is the only right attitude. In the Koran, it is said that when Moses and Aaron prayed for victory over the Pharaoh, God, accepting their prayers, commanded them to stand steadfast and not to follow the tracks of those who were ignorant of the Reality. Moses to commanded his followers to be true and seek the help of God. In moments of storm and stress, never grow disheartened, especially as you stand on the bedrock of God and Godman. If, in spite of this, you fail in your endeavors, then take that failure as coming from God for your good.