Sat Nam Dear Family,

Why do prayers work, not work, or only work sometime? It’s not a difficult question to answer; it is a difficult answer to do! Let me explain it from my experience.

The more faith you truly have, the more your prayers become answered. When you're so trustworthy that God has merged with you, he allows you the grand prize of making your life a constant prayer, your prayer.

Sure, sincerity of prayer, selflessness of prayer, purpose of prayer, all play into effectiveness, but they fall way short of pure faith. Pure faith is the golden spot where prayers are answered.

First, faith has to be defined. Faith is reliance on God, for everything. Faith accepts the result of all prayer as His blessing. Faith doesn’t judge whether or not the results of prayer meet with your satisfaction, faith accepts all results as His will and, thus, do meet with approval. Not just approval, but love. In other words, faith is love.

Therefore, the way to increase the immediate results of prayer as a blessing, love, love of God, must be a perpetual endeavor. Like constantly chanting the Nam, the sacred Name of God. As a rule of thumb, the more you nurture the love of God, prayer becomes less of a crap shoot.

You make commitments to God that if your prayer is answered you’ll do, so and so, or such and such, and then forget the commitment, or make it subject to your approval of results.. Do you think God forgets? Well, He’s compassionate, so, maybe, but karma is karma. You do penance, or hail Marys, or whatever ritual you choose. God’s not interested in rituals, He’s interested in the purity of your heart. If the ritual helps purifying of your heart, so be it. But, don’t count on it.

Here’s what most don’t recognize. Prayers work like a mortgage which has been fully amortized. By that I mean, let’s say you have a thirty year mortgage on your house. Whether you know it or not, the first years payment may have only paid off less than one percent of the face value of the loan. Conversely at the 28,29,30 year payment, half or more than the true loan value will be paid off then. In other words, the real benefits, results, won’t inure until you near the end. Hello prayer!

I’m not saying don’t pray. Even if prayer usually doesn’t work, what about the times it does. It’s not your call, so just keep-up with prayer, God hears them all. Make sure that you hear them clearly as well.

Enter Kundalini Yoga and Sikh dharma. Kundalini Yoga teachings lead to the sound current, the unstuck melody Infinity. Sikh Dharma teaches focusing this sound current through the sound of selfless service, seva, and love, the repetition of His sacred name. Remembering God’s sacred Name is the way to his heart. The way to His heart is through the sound current, mantra, repeating his sacred Name. This is the formula in this sacred dharma.

Most of all, you hear your prayers. It’s the highest prayer which is granted by the prayee himself, you! When you can grant yourself your own prayer, you’ve made it. God trusts, loves, merges with you so much that He entrusts you with the manifestation of His Will. God knows that prayer will be in consort with His prayer.

Guru Arjan writes about faith in Sukhmani This is from Ashtapadee 20:

The wishes of the Lord’s servant are fulfilled. From the True Guru, the pure teachings are obtained. Unto His humble servant, God has shown His kindness. He has made His servant eternally happy. The bonds of His humble servant are cut away, and he is liberated. The pains of birth and death, and doubt are gone. Desires are satisfied, and faith is fully rewarded, imbued forever with His all-pervading peace. He is His . he merges in Union with Him. Nanak is absorbed in devotional worship of the Naam.|| 3 ||

Wahe Guru! Stay tuned,

In the Humility of Service and Gratitude,

Mukia Singh Sahib Hari Jiwan Singh Khalsa

Chief of Protocol

Sangat Representative