Prayer, its Nature & Technique - Kirpal Singh

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER DEFINED PRAYERSdo they bear any appreciable fruit or make anylasting impression on the participants on suchoccasions, whether the singers or the hearers.An arrow that does not take its flight right fromthe archer’s bow-string, strung well down to thechest, hardly hits the target. Similarly, mere oralprayers, not coming out of the depths of the soul,fail to reach the Godman, who is also the verysoul of our soul, and is already aware of our needsmore than we ourselves are.12. Congregational PrayersTHE same may be said of congregationalprayers which too fall under the abovehead. These are offered in temples and mosques,churches and synagogues, gurdwaras and othersacred places. The man at the pulpit gives thesermon and the audience mechanically hears it,or he reads a prayer and the congregation justrepeats it in a chorus. Except for some honorableexceptions, the rest just walk in for the weekly ormonthly service, as the case may be, for form’ssake. If such prayers do not create in us a longingfor God, they avail nothing. This is the mostelementary service that is expected from suchprayers, and if that too is not achieved, nothingis gained therefrom.Such services, if conducted on proper lines,can do a lot of good to the people. We may prayin all humility for the welfare of humanity in39