Prayer and Desire

In times of distress, we pray to God for relief. We seek His blessings for success in our ventures or removal of obstacles. Many feel that prayer should be a natural outpouring for our love and devotion to the Lord, without any seeking for such worldly benefits for ourselves. The doubt has been clarified in Bhagavad-Gita and also in the Puranic accounts of devotees like Gajendra and Draupadi calling for His help when in dire distress. Lord Krishna has said - (sloka:VII-16):

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनो.अर्जुन
आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ

chaturvidhaa bhajante maam janaah sukrutinorshabha
aarto jignyaasurarthaarthii gnyaanii cha bharatarshabha (Gita: 7-16)

People who are pious in actions, who have meritorious Karmas to their credit and who resort to me and worship me, belong to four groups:

(i) The 'distressed' - those who have lost their health, position in life and their wealth, and are otherwise in difficulties; for example, Gajendra, Draupadi.
(ii) Seeker of wealth - who crave for money, wife, children, position, name and fame. for instance,Sugriva, Vibhishana
(iii) Seeker of knowledge' -who wish to acuire knowledge to realise the real nature of the self (in its pure state) as an entity different from the Prakrti.
(iv) And the Gnyanis, the wise, who have realised that it is the essential nature of the self to find happiness only as the Sesha (subsidiary or liege) of the Lord and wish to surrender to the Lord.

Let us lead our lives with constant devotion to God and seek His assistance and guidance when we feel helpless after all efforts. Surrender to His Will and our Bhakti spirit will surely purify the motive in due course.

In a different context, Tennyson in Morte D'Arthur wrote about the power of prayer and
advised that we should pray for others as well:

Pray for my soul.
More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.
Wherefore, let thy voice Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats
That nourish a blind life within the brain,
If, knowing God, they lift not hands of prayer.
Both for themselves and those who call them friend?