Prayers are of several types. But most
often in our prayers we ask the Divine for the fulfillment of a
particular wish. We do not even think about this as it comes so
naturally. But there are a few, specially among those who have taken
the spiritual path, who ask themselves whether it is right to seek
from the Divine a particular result. Is it not better to simply
invoke the Divine for intervention and leave it to the Divine to
decide.
Sometimes even when one feels this
is the right way, there is something in us which pushes us to ask
for a particular result. The question we have chosen, this time,
comes from such a person. The question is:
"When one prays sincerely
for the intervention of the Grace, doesn't one expect a particular
result? Is it right to do so?"
Here is the answer in the Mother's
words, so beautiful, so satisfying and fulfilling.
"That depends on the tenor of
the prayer. If one simply invokes the Grace or the Divine, and
puts oneself in His hands, one does not expect a particular result.
To expect a particular result one must formulate one's prayer,
must ask for something. If you have only a great aspiration for
the divine Grace and evoke it, implore it, without asking it for
anything precise, it is the Grace which will choose what it will
do for you, not you.
That is better, isn't it?
Ah! That's quite another question.
Why, it is higher in its quality,
perhaps. But still, if one wants something precise, it is better
to formulate it. If one has a special reason for invoking the
Grace, it is better to formulate it precisely and clearly.
Of course, if one is in a state of
complete surrender and gives oneself entirely, if one simply offers
oneself to the Grace and lets it do what it likes, that is very
good. But after that one must not question what it does! One must
not say to it,
"Oh! I did that with the idea
of having this", for if one really has the idea of obtaining
something, it is better to formulate it in all sincerity, simply,
just as one sees it. Afterwards, it is for the Grace to choose
if it will do it or not; but in any case, one will have formulated
clearly what one wanted. And there is no harm in that.
Where it becomes bad is when the
request is not granted and one revolts. Then naturally it becomes
bad. It is at that moment one must understand that the desire
one has, or the aspiration, may not have been very enlightened
and that perhaps one has asked for something which was not exactly
what was good for one. Then at that moment one must be wise and
say simply, "Well, let Thy Will be done." But so long
as one has an inner perception and an inner preference, there
is no harm in formulating it. It is a very natural movement.
For example, if one has been foolish
or has made a mistake and one truly, sincerely wishes never to
do it again, well, I don't see any harm in asking for it. And
in fact, if one asks for it with sincerity, a true inner sincerity,
there is a great chance that it will be granted.
You must not think that the Divine
likes to contradict you. He is not at all keen on doing it! He
can see better than you what is really good for you; but it is
only when it is absolutely indispensable that He opposes your
aspiration. Otherwise He is always ready to give what you ask.
The Mother
