The Thangkas are a devotional vehicle and prayer is a devotional practice to directly speak to God. Any spiritual practice should be filled with prayer and every meditation, every important activity (business plans, overcoming disease, new projects, eating, etc.) should have a devotional component so God is relevant to every aspect of your life. Guruji (Paramahansa Yogananda) said that we should look to God for help in every detail of our life. Never feel like you are alone. God should be your partner in all that you do.

God can accomplish anything. She created us, created the Universe, and can intervene when and if she chooses. God’s Grace is real, and prayer is a way to draw that Grace ever closer.

It is said that the channel is blessed by that which flows through it. Therefore, prayers to help others and be given the power and ability to serve others is a selfless and powerful prayer.

When the ego gets out of the way and you no longer need to take credit for anything, then your higher Self really has a chance to get to work.

I was in India a few years ago teaching in a program with Arizona State Department of Sustainability. Most of the staff were academics. The event was held at the Gandhi Research Foundation, Jalgaon, Maharashtra, and one of their staff had been with Mahatma Gandhi as a child. He was a real yogi and had a spiritual presence of joy that was very tangible. One of our academics could not understand how this man could have such spiritual power. He asked him and the yogi replied, “I try to reduce myself to nothing.”  Of course, he was referring to his ego. Get your ego out of the way and the soul will shine!

Any prayer that is sincere and from you heart is a good prayer. Find an authentic place within and speak your truth with a sense of devotion. Meditation helps the power of prayer because, like a radio, if your mental waves are calm, the thoughts can be heard in the subtle realms.

Conversely, prayer helps meditation because it invokes the presence of Divine beings to help you experience Spirit. Never meditate alone. Invoke the presence of the Great Ones to be with you. Like Jesus said, “If two or more are gathered in my name, I will be there.”

This classic prayer from Guruji always touches my heart:

May Thy love shine forever on the sanctuary of my devotion,

and may I be able to awaken Thy love in all hearts.