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Beginning of true prayer

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Silencing our thoughts means tuning them in to God. That is when true prayer begins.”

– Paramhansa Yogananda

The subject of prayer itself is extremely vast.

As I have progressed in my spiritual journey, I have also moved on in my prayer life. However, it is very important to have a firm foundation regarding verses from the Holy Scriptures in order to give us clarity on what we seek.

Paramhansa Yogananda, the great born-again mystic from Bengal India in the early to mid twentieth century taught both in the East and the West, the importance of decluttering our minds and seeking inner guidance. This technique can be extremely effective for those meeting busy schedules.

In the New Testament Apostle Paul in his letter in the Book of Romans, speaks of times we have a deep inner groaning at times and we simply do not know what to pray about or how to pray. All we know is that we are carrying a deep longing for better circumstances, and our spirit starts groaning. When you don’t know what to pray for, the Apostle Paul points to the Holy Spirit in Romans 8:26-27, who helps believers by interceding with “groanings too deep for words,” as we don’t always know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit prays perfectly according to God’s will. This means relying on the Spirit’s guidance, praying Scripture, and trusting God’s plan, even in weakness or confusion. 

Paramhansa Yogananda asked his disciples to practice meditation as a technique to bring all our scattered thoughts into the point between our eyebrows. Through this concentration we become aligned with our inner longing that matters most to us, and we also then can calm our spirits. He asks us to simply wait on the Lord for inner guidance, for he never fails us and guides us to take decisions that go beyond our own selfish needs. It brings us in alignment with the superconscious powers.

On the other hand the key teachings from Paul on Prayer

  • The Spirit Intercedes: Paul highlights our weakness in prayer, stating we often don’t know what to ask for, but the Spirit takes over, making heartfelt pleas that God understands.
  • Praying God’s Will: The Spirit intercedes “in accordance with the will of God,” ensuring our prayers, even wordless ones, align with His perfect plan.
  • Trust in Weakness: It’s okay to admit you don’t have all the answers or know how to pray; it’s a human reality, not a lack of faith, as Paul himself noted.
  • God Works All Things for Good: Paul connects this to the broader truth that God works all things for the good of those who love Him, offering peace in uncertainty, according to Romans 8:28. 

Practical Application

  • Pray Scripture: Use Bible verses as your prayer when words fail.
  • Ask the Spirit for Guidance: Invite the Holy Spirit to help you pray.
  • Pray for God’s Will: Focus on His purposes rather than just your immediate desires.
  • Pray Continually: Offer all your feelings, including weakness and confusion, to God throughout the day. 

Paramhansa Yogananda advised his disciples to become connected with the divine continuously and never to be disconnected. This supreme connection is available to each and every worshipper if he or she makes an effort at establishing such a divine connection through repetition of Bible verses, singing hymns, surrendering to God’s will in all things, and practicing the path of devotion. Such efforts will surely bear good fruit in one’s life and in those with whom one connects.

In conclusion, to a novice who is even slightly interested in developing a prayer life, I would suggest pursuing it in obedience to God’s calling and humility. Also be inspired by encountering the persistence and devotion of other devotees. Last but not least, a prayer life is a truly blessed way of living.

Praying for the bengali speaking people group

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Mental Health is Aligned with Spiritual Well Being

I am reminded of Apostle Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians – It was his deep desire that the Thessalonians will be completely sanctified one day soon.

As a called out servant of the Lord in India, I notice the sufferings of Indians everywhere. All human beings have the same need to connect with the Divine. In fact it is the deepest need of all living creatures. However, in the absence of sound teachings, one loses discernment of what are the sound moral grounds on which one needs to stand. This is evident in mass scale in the city of Kolkata in which I am presently living.

All the systems seem to be collapsing. These systems, to name a few – the Education, Legal and Health systems were put in place by the British in the main while they were ruling prior to our gaining of independence in 1947. The previous systems laid out under Islamic and Hindu dominion have lost their prevalence. However, Bengal seems to live under some kind of mental delusion in the main at the moment. As it has turned out, it is lagging behind the rest of the states in India. There seems to be an excessive emphasis on the brain and intellectual activities.

Christianity gradually crept into my father’s side of the family for over 3 generations through the Education System as laid by the British in the main. However, the tearing apart of one’s religious beliefs and the pain of partition have infiltrated through generations. The joint family systems and community mindsets which caused social and communal cohesion have disintegrated in general in the process as well. The family system has also been weakened. Every person lives for his or her personal gain.

As a missionary I am inclined to prayers each and everyday. While I pray for peace around the world, I also pray for peace and harmony in hearts of every human being. I pray that God makes us more compassionate with a higher level of awareness regarding oneness of the human race. This will solve numerous societal problems organically. I pray that God makes us more tolerant of one another, so that nobody feels led to oppress or judge another person unnecessarily.

The Book of Thessalonians in the New Testament deals with the Apostle Paul’s burden for the inhabitants of Thessalonica. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Unless we enjoy peace in our entire being we cannot be sanctified people. Lack of peace creates mental disturbance.

For the local Christians in West Bengal and Bangladesh, Western form of Christianity needs to be woven into our own spiritual past as our DNA is vastly different to other races. We can find perfect peace and mental stability if only we delve back into our very ancient roots, in which meditation as a practice was followed throughout India. I myself have found solace being grounded on the Word of God as taught by American Christian teachers and preachers. However, for my full spiritual development I have also delved into our Bengali past and found how meditation and yoga were needed to align body, mind and spirit. Having finally gained this path I am able to develop harmonious relationships with people practising different faiths. I am also able to protect myself from unexpected challenges from other Christians.

Overall the current age with knowledge explosions and highly busy lifestyle is causing more and more people to seek comfort in turning to spiritual forces. Signs are showing through the rise of religious tourism in India. It was heartwarming to travel recently with extended families travelling together in trains and hired vehicles on extended All India trips visiting places of worship throughout India.

Basic traits of human beings do not change with time and this is reflected in Apostle Paul’s yearning in his letter to the Thessalonians in The Bible. He touches on 2 important points as follows:

  • Paul prays that God, the God of peace, will sanctify the Thessalonians completely, meaning that they will be set apart for God’s purpose. 
  • He also prays that their entire being – spirit, soul, and body – will be preserved blameless, meaning free from fault or reproach, until the coming of Jesus Christ. 

I am proud to belong to the Bengali people group even though for 3 generations we have lived largely in Bihar. It is my prayer that Bengalis be set apart, so they can see a bigger picture of India in the days to come. For this to happen, they need to devote time to spirituality through personal efforts at seeking God’s presence in their lives each and everyday. Intellectualism and intellectual pursuits unfortunately cut them off from the Supreme Being.

Human beings are prone to change and are fickle minded. But our Almighty God is steadfast in His love for ALL of us without exception. When we experience Divine Love, we are freed from all forms of sectarianism. We often speak of Sanatan Dharma at an intellectual level in India. So, it is simply Utopia that we are thinking about. We like to believe that we are tolerant but we are too quick to judge one another. Our self created assumptions become our realities. Very few of us spend time in worship of a living God. If we did, we would be aligned with God’s desire for each one of us.

For me the Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of Father in Heaven is the person who intercedes on behalf of me. It is through him that Salvation is assured for me. However, receiving the Lord as my Saviour does give me added responsibility of living each day out with responsibility.

If one feels that he or she is called by God then the real life journey starts and this journey is extraordinary. This is my personal experience going way back in 1964.

1 Thessalonians 5:24:“He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” Paul reassures the Thessalonians that God, who has called them to salvation, is faithful and will surely accomplish what he has promised, including the sanctification and preservation of their entire being.  This is my prayer for the Bengali people group. Many of whom have craved for a higher level of spiritual experience. But needless to say effort and self discipline in one’s spiritual growth is the key for opening that door of spiritual peace and harmony.

The Source of Our Inspiration

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The Power of the Holy Spirit

“But it is the spirit in a man, the breath of the Almighty, that gives him understanding. It is not only the old that are wise, not only the aged who understand what is right.” (Job 32:8-9)

We carry the very breath of the Almighty when we open our hearts and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. This enables us to connect with the Lord and be mingled with His Spirit all day long.

Advancing in age does not ensure that we will gather wisdom along our life journey. It is the Holy Spirit that gives us true wisdom and teaches us to make wise choices in the right seasons of our lives. We discard the desperation of our younger years and learn to yield patiently to the dictates of the Almighty. We get our priorities in the right order and learn to value restraint in our actions.

Prayer: Almighty Father, I boldly approach your throne of grace and mercy, relying on the redemptive sacrifice of your Son. Today, I humbly recognize that mere knowledge and intellect do not empower me to exercise wisdom in every situation I face. Strengthen me to shed old ways that no longer serve me, as I mature each year. Fill me with your Divine Spirit and bless me with the wisdom to abandon thought patterns, speech, and approaches that are no longer beneficial. I willingly trade worldly wisdom for heavenly wisdom, as revealed in your Holy Word. With unwavering faith, I express gratitude for the opportunity to pray this prayer. Amen

What you are….and what you are meant to be!

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“What a wretched man am I! Who will rescue me from this body of death?” – Romans 7:24

In our Christian walk, dedicating and rededicating our lives strengthens our faith. When we are water baptized, our past is dead, and we are Born Again. This is a miracle, as our life is then hidden in the life of our dear Lord Jesus.

Dedicating our lives to Jesus disconnects us from our previous life and starts us on a fresh journey. We become the Apple of His eye, bringing Him great pleasure and joy as we express our gratitude to Almighty God through His Son, who died on the Cross for our sins and those of our forefathers.

Although we will remain sinners in the flesh, our dedication to our Lord opens the door to a spirit-filled life. This is not about following a certain religion but about making our Lord our personal Savior. He is someone we not only worship as the reflection of Almighty God but also see as our friend and guide. We can reach out to Him and seek guidance through reading the Word of God in the Holy Bible.

As our faith strengthens in our daily journey, peace descends upon our lives, as long as we do not become attached to the earthly blessings He bestows upon us. His expectation is for us to approach the heavenly throne in prayer each day and shed light around us so that His Kingdom descends upon the Earth.

Many Christians, due to a lack of spiritual awakening, fail to grasp the significance of receiving Jesus as Savior. They live compromised lives and fail to move out of the way of our Lord, who always seeks to bless us with love, peace, joy, patience, and other fruits of the Spirit.

Even Apostle Paul, the great proponent of the Lord’s teachings, felt his physical body was a constraint and that he was falling short of the glory of Almighty God. Through self-awareness of our shortcomings each day and working on them, we can overcome and run the race of our lives in victory. We need to keep filling the gap between where we are and what we can be in Christ!

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