Namaste
I think many who focus praying for something out of grievance or personal issues are mostly over exaggerating their "problems". And without belittling those who indeed have real sadness, danger to loved ones, or who have lost some aspect of true love or struggling with recovery, many strike me as cry babies who don't know how to have fun in life no matter how clumsy and sunk in melancholy and spirit poverty day to day life can be.
Sure, you mess with my kid I break you. I don't tear myself up about it, I might be smiling while I do it.
Don't underestimate a happy smile, fun and seeking adventure in life. And when you pray to Gods, it is the IMMEDIATE experience of Hinduism that matters, not waiting for some "result". It is that EXPERIENCE that transforms you then and there, not waiting for some result.
That is why, I typically use bhajans, singing devotional songs as I was just doing now about 30 minutes ago to Mother Amba (singing Jai Amba on my guitar) instead of "praying " oh "here is my problem, and this is what I want". Today I am off work because I have to work another day which was suppose to be a day off.
But everyday is sort of a "day off" (from pity of myself), a vacation. So I don't "pray" like that.
In fact that is a Abrahmic form of prayer, I don't do that hardly ever, I may chant a mantra to have an IMMEDIATE transformation of myself, and by that transformation things change, it is like magic and it is adventure. I have darshan and I am transformed, my stirring happens, light moves, and it is literally loving and fun.
If you are praying "here is the deal" and then waiting for a result, you are doing it wrong.
If you sing a bhajan, you will have IMMEDIATE transformation of your spirit. If you don't then you are not doing it right.
Lift your chin up and smile. Smile with an outward look, engage and seek the adventure that awaits you.
If I pray, then I pray to Mother Annapurna, "Maa! Give me Food!".
Sounds simple. But I get spiritual food. And if I get real food too, great, so be it. A nice day. But what I also got was immediate transformation as soon as those words came out of my mouth. And then I have a great adventure even while the termites eat my house. I may be rich but I don't live rich. Everything is simple for me. The rites, the bhajans, the simple food and holy prashad. I don't care very long if the skunk sprays. I might die in the next 10 minutes. Oh well. It sure is fun. Because of the experience. Of Hinduism. Dharma.
Sure, by the way, you may suffer or be suffeing karma. But we can also associate with each other by the "magic payphone" of murti, mantra, bhajan, darshan, it isn't just you and your Lord, we are all here too and others and it is a great time. I am not talking about this forum. I am talking about engaging Hinduism. So it was fun to put in my 2 cents and now back to less talk about Hinduism until I get a chance to pop a cracker later. I don't ever "teach", that isn't my role nor do I care what you think. I just have adventures.
Good luck and there is a thing called "good luck". Wink and you will see. Om Namah Sivaya