Question: What is the best way to pray for others?⁸⁰

Sri Chinmoy: The best way to pray for others is to first invoke the Presence of the Supreme. Once you invoke His Presence, He will definitely come in His subtle Body. His Presence may not take a human form and you may not see Him in a human body. But you will be able to feel His Presence, and in your feeling a form will be embodied. Inside the form, try to feel the person or persons for whom you are praying. That is the most effective way of helping others through your prayer.

But before asking the Supreme to help others, first ask Him whether you are supposed to pray for them. Otherwise, you may be praying for others out of sheer attachment. If you get a message or inner feeling from the Presence of the Supreme that you should pray for a particular person, then only should you do so. Otherwise, the Supreme might not be pleased with your prayer at all. If you do something in this world without His Approval, Sanction or Permission, then you are committing a serious mistake.

Suppose somebody is very sick. You may think that if you pray for him, it will be a good thing. But perhaps God wants him to have this experience at this particular time. You have to know that God is infinitely kinder than any human being could possibly be. If, because of your human attachment, you pray to God, “Cure him, cure him,” you may be standing in God’s Way and interfering with the person’s spiritual progress. So always try to discover God’s Will before praying for somebody.