19 February 2015 - QA 4

How powerful are prayers? Can they outright our fate? Since we don’t know what is better for us, is it better not to pray and just leave it to the divine?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

It is always good to say ask the divine, but you can also say, ‘If there is anything better that you have planned for me, then let that happen.’
There is nothing wrong in asking, ask and it shall be given to you. This has also been said in the Bible.
In Sanskrit it is said, you pray for what you want, but this prayer is a deep sense of need. And, you pray for what you think is usually not in your ability to achieve.
You don’t pray for a glass of water, unless you are in a desert where there is no water. What you pray for is what you think you cannot achieve with your limited resources, skills, or your effort. That is when prayer happens. Then you say, ‘I need this, but I don’t think I can do this. Please grant me this’. While asking, you also can add, ‘If you think there is something better in store for me, then let that happen!’