When confronted with a huge problem, especially one that causes acute or unbearable distress, we often desperately turn to God for help. We pray for the cause of our distress to magically disappear or for a miraculous change of heart in the person responsible for the problem. Yet we sometimes find that the problem remains. This may naturally cause us perplexity and discouragement.
Amid such disconcerting times, we have two choices. We can either continue to fixate on that problem in our life, letting it pervade our mind, worrying that it will not go away, lamenting that even God is not ready to help us — and thereby losing our faith in him. Or we can strive to broaden our vision and recognize that God has some plan that is for our good, even though the way he brings about our welfare may differ from the way we would have chosen.
To become more receptive to his way, we can shift the focus of our prayers. Rather than seeing prayer as a means to move the problem away from us, we can see it as a means to move ourselves closer to God. By thus redefining our vision of prayer, we will be able to re-evaluate the impact of that problem in our lives. Instead of seeing the problem as a cause of distress alone, we can become open to the possibility that it may be a necessary impetus for us to move closer to God. And in that increased proximity to the supreme divinity, we can find solace, strength and satisfaction so sublime that it can’t be found in the most problem-free worldly situation.
The Bhagavad-gita (18.58) inspires us toward such a shift in consciousness when it assures that those who turn to Krishna for absorbing our consciousness in him will be empowered, by his grace, to pass over all obstacles.
Summary:
Pray not that God moves the cause of our distress away from us; pray that he uses our distress as a cause to move us closer to him.
Think it over.
- When faced with severe distress, what might be our initial response?
- Why might such a response lead us to lose faith?
- How can we refine our response so that it enhances our faith?
***
18.58: If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost.
Audio explanation of the article is here: https://gitadaily.substack.com/p/what-to-pray-for-amid-distress
To know more about this verse, please click on the image
WOW! This was sooooo helpful and important to read for me. THANK YOU, Chaitanya Charan Das, for taking the time and effort to share these important insights and I want you to know how much it helps me bless my life as I try to move through the maze of material existence. I am so VERY grateful that God has blessed me with this type of association with mature and kind souls who are willing to sacrifice their time to help others, like me. Hare Krishna!! And thank you!
Happy to be of service; thanks for your heartfelt appreciation.
Hare Krishna,
Please accept my humble obeisance`s at the dust of Your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Happy Guru Purnima and thank You for Your selfless service in spreading Srila Prabhupada`s mission of Krishna Consciousness. Thank You for all the help and nice advices. May we have the intelligence to choose right from wrong.
Sincerely,
Irena Tancheva
Thanks, Irena, for your appreciation. May we all be blessed by our gurus.
These words of Bhagawan Sri Krishna are a great source of solace and is universal in nature. It doesn’t put any conditions that the person be pious or has lot of punya. It is also sweeping in its scope – “Sarwa Durgani” encompassing all problems big and small and all types.
Normal response of a person in distress is to seek solution in external events – performing pooja or doing remedial japa for planets or visiting sacred places or performing good deeds like food distribution etc. Here Krishna is asking the person to turn inwards – “Chittah” – remembering Krishna more and more.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment.