Power of Prayers

July 29, 2008

POWER OF PRAYER TALK BY GEETHA OF WASHINGTON, DC, SHARED A POWERFUL STORIES OF THE MANHATTAN CENTER IN NEW YORK CITY

RECENTLY. A SAI SPIRITUAL EDUCATION TEACHER IN TWO YEARS SHE TURNED THE SSE PROGRAM IN WASHINGTON INTO A SCHOOL WITH 70 CHILDRENS AND 60 TEACHERS. SPEAKING DURING THE NATIONAL PRAYER WEEK, SHE STARTED WITH A PRAYER FROM THE GITA.

I had learnt this prayer as a child, it meant “Oh Lord, with your grace You can make the dumb eloquent and cripple cross a mountain.” That is me! I never imagined that one day I would stand in front of people and talk about Swami, whom I have loved since my childhood.

When I was ten years old, two renunciants from Ramakrishna group came to my house and stayed with us for ten days. Everyday when I came back from school, they would tell me stories abt SriRamakrishna and Vivekanand. During their stay I represented my school at inter-school elocution competition.

I was to pick a topic from a hat and speak on it for ten minutes . These monks saw that I was nervous, so they taught me the above prayer. They told me that I should really believe in it and do my duty with love and devotion to accomplish anything in the world. So I prayed very sincerely, and on the day when I picked the topic, it was “Swami Vivekanand. This how prayer works.

One day in Travee Brindavan (Swami’s Bangalore residence) we were in a meeting where Swami was signing with the boys, and from where I was sitting I could not see Him . One of the boys asked Him, “Swami, when I see all the problems in the world, I feel so helpless. I want to drop everything and go and help out.?

Swami said “No, You are a student, and your duty is to study and work hard, when your time comes, then you do your seva (service). “The boy then said, “So I should just watch helplessly.

Swami said, No. You are not helpless. You have the most powerful tool---Prayer.

Global akhand shamans (24 hours of continuous devotional signing) were started by my grand father in 1945. Swami used to come to our house and stay with us from Wednesday on because shamans would start on Thursday and go on through Friday. During one of these visits I saw with my own eyes the power of prayer.

This particular time, a young man came to our house and requested my father to talk to Swami on his behalf about the patches that had his on face. My father said that he could not be go-between with him and Swami, but as he was a good singer, he asked him to sing at the akhand bhajan. My father also asked him to pray to Swami.

Akhand shamans came, and Swami spend a few hours at the auditorium. He returned at about 8 p.m had His meal, and sent my mother for shamans as He did not require anything more till next morning.

The few of us at home sat around Him sharing the evening. Suddenly, He turned to my father and said “Padmanabh.’ Get the car ready out. I have to go back to the bhajan. “So my father, being little protective of His physical form, said, “You have just come back after after so many hours and is raining, so why don’t You go in the morning?. Swami said that He had to go. He asked him to accompany Him.

As we entered the hall, the same young man was signing with eyes closed. “Darash Dikhao mere Sai Nandalala” means show me Your form my Sai Krishna.” Swami walked in a very gently and went stood right in front of him, with His hands at the back, swaying to the tune.

Just as he finished singing, he opened his eyes and saw the Lord standing before him. Swami gently touched him and in front of our eyes we saw the < WHITE SPOTS DISAPPEAR>. This is the result of Prayer uttered with love and devotion.

Since the speech is long, we shall continue speech (POWER OF PRAYER).

Ram ChuganiKobe, Japan