The Value of Prayer

Is prayer useful in Advaita Vedanta? Its usefulness depends on what you're praying for. The tradition would say that if you're praying for a new iPhone Pro Max, you can get in line with all the other chumps asking for the same thing!

But if you're praying to remove ignorance and have the truth revealed to you, then you're setting your intention and centering your heart. The purpose of prayer is to evoke the Lord—or that which is good; whole. One should ask the Lord to remove all obstacles to finding the truth.

Evoke the Lord so that the highest knowledge regularly becomes your thoughts...Evoke the Lord so that your mind becomes a fit instrument to receive such noble thoughts. This will not only clarify your purpose and help make you sincere, but will also naturally, make your mind sattvic (peaceful and clear) and ready to hear the teachings.

Who is the Lord? Ishvara—the mysterious force behind creation. Pray to that which brought you here, to where you are now. Nisargadatta Maharaj would say that earnestness is required for enlightenment. Prayer is an expression of earnestness.