God is in all places and we may as well pray him from anywhere- that is what we hear all along our life, ever since our childhood. But, if that is the case to be, then why do we go to temples/mosques/churches to worship or pray the lord in whom we believe?
One might argue, that there are certain divine vibrations at sacred places due to the sacred chants or rituals and the deities installed in the religious places, but at times it might sound a cliched self consoling statement, isn't it? Prayers are supposed to be heard from wherever they are dedicated to the lord irrespective of the ambiance, but that’s just how I think and not all would agree to it.
Though there are countless reasons for people to visit churches/temples/mosques, here is a list of few that I have observed are the prominent ones in whatever years I have spent on this earth…
Fulfilling a wish
A very obvious and common reason of all the others! It is widely believed, that if you bow down in front of God with an open and clean heart and ask for something, it will never go unheard. A religious place is understood to be sacred and blessed by the presence of God, thus it attracts the human race without actually compelling it to visit.
To realize that we are not alone
Religious places not only help us to see and find out if we are alone or not in our faith but also help us to learn from other people. There is something reassuring about praying with other people (be it unknowns) and being surrounded by people that believe the same thing as you do. For some, religious places also work as a safe place to be at, wherein, they can express their thoughts without the fear of getting criticized by other people.
Reverse Effect
There has been a saying since old days that “The moment you try to go away from him, is the moment he wants you to come close to him even more.” And Reverse Effect is an unspoken theory, supposedly adopted by God himself, to make his presence felt to us. People often go around thinking in their minds to seek or deny the presence of God in so many ways, that God at times take it in his own hand to make sure that his presence beeps in every heart beat of a human.
Peace of mind
One of the strongholds that any religious place provides to its devotees is the peace of mind. It would not be an understatement to say that almost all of them find solace of soul and mind when worshiping the lord in any temple/church/mosque. A mere feeling that human race is a part of the family to that of God, is enough to give that thoughtful cushion to one’s mind, wherein, they surrender their negativity to God and seek for clarity in vision and thoughts.
Increase brotherhood
Despite what and who you believe in, you always need companionship in the world. The nature of God is simple; spread love among each other and eliminate hatred. All the religious places teach to believe in unity and harmony, be it through prayers or by preaching. The more you believe in others, the more you become stronger within yourself and praying together always helps in bridging that gap between two souls.
Paying tribute to the God
Though it is more prominent in Hinduism, but paying tribute to God for any wish that is fulfilled, is an unwritten rule in all the religions. For example, if someone makes a wish in front of God and promises to revisit (may be with a donation or something specific that they wish to) once the wish is fulfilled, then it is their karma to revisit the place and send out a prayer of thanks. It is also said that if you fail to go back to the place where your fulfilled wish was prayed at, then you could call upon the anger of the God.
To be wise and learn
A temple is not only a place to go to worship but it is also a place of learning; about the religion, language, culture, about morals, i.e. what is right and what is wrong, and how we should behave in order to live a happy life.
A sacred institution for marriages
Churches are known to hold the marriage ceremonies of Christians and same is the case for temples too. There are few who do it by choice, and there are few who do it because they cannot afford an expansive affair and wish to seek the blessings of God on what could be the most special day of their life. When a man and woman are sealed together in a temple they make sacred covenants with each other and the Lord to be faithful and true. If they remain faithful to their sealing covenant they will be together forever.
Personal revelations
Temples/churches/mosques are not only a place to worship or learn, but also a place for receiving personal revelations, that include solace during the time of trial, difficulty and grief. While churches offer the facility to confess to the father, temples and mosques allow you to talk to the maulanas or the pundits who could guide you through your bad times in life.
One might argue, that there are certain divine vibrations at sacred places due to the sacred chants or rituals and the deities installed in the religious places, but at times it might sound a cliched self consoling statement, isn't it? Prayers are supposed to be heard from wherever they are dedicated to the lord irrespective of the ambiance, but that’s just how I think and not all would agree to it.
Though there are countless reasons for people to visit churches/temples/mosques, here is a list of few that I have observed are the prominent ones in whatever years I have spent on this earth…
Fulfilling a wish
A very obvious and common reason of all the others! It is widely believed, that if you bow down in front of God with an open and clean heart and ask for something, it will never go unheard. A religious place is understood to be sacred and blessed by the presence of God, thus it attracts the human race without actually compelling it to visit.
To realize that we are not alone
Religious places not only help us to see and find out if we are alone or not in our faith but also help us to learn from other people. There is something reassuring about praying with other people (be it unknowns) and being surrounded by people that believe the same thing as you do. For some, religious places also work as a safe place to be at, wherein, they can express their thoughts without the fear of getting criticized by other people.
Reverse Effect
There has been a saying since old days that “The moment you try to go away from him, is the moment he wants you to come close to him even more.” And Reverse Effect is an unspoken theory, supposedly adopted by God himself, to make his presence felt to us. People often go around thinking in their minds to seek or deny the presence of God in so many ways, that God at times take it in his own hand to make sure that his presence beeps in every heart beat of a human.
Peace of mind
One of the strongholds that any religious place provides to its devotees is the peace of mind. It would not be an understatement to say that almost all of them find solace of soul and mind when worshiping the lord in any temple/church/mosque. A mere feeling that human race is a part of the family to that of God, is enough to give that thoughtful cushion to one’s mind, wherein, they surrender their negativity to God and seek for clarity in vision and thoughts.
Increase brotherhood
Despite what and who you believe in, you always need companionship in the world. The nature of God is simple; spread love among each other and eliminate hatred. All the religious places teach to believe in unity and harmony, be it through prayers or by preaching. The more you believe in others, the more you become stronger within yourself and praying together always helps in bridging that gap between two souls.
Paying tribute to the God
Though it is more prominent in Hinduism, but paying tribute to God for any wish that is fulfilled, is an unwritten rule in all the religions. For example, if someone makes a wish in front of God and promises to revisit (may be with a donation or something specific that they wish to) once the wish is fulfilled, then it is their karma to revisit the place and send out a prayer of thanks. It is also said that if you fail to go back to the place where your fulfilled wish was prayed at, then you could call upon the anger of the God.
To be wise and learn
A temple is not only a place to go to worship but it is also a place of learning; about the religion, language, culture, about morals, i.e. what is right and what is wrong, and how we should behave in order to live a happy life.
A sacred institution for marriages
Churches are known to hold the marriage ceremonies of Christians and same is the case for temples too. There are few who do it by choice, and there are few who do it because they cannot afford an expansive affair and wish to seek the blessings of God on what could be the most special day of their life. When a man and woman are sealed together in a temple they make sacred covenants with each other and the Lord to be faithful and true. If they remain faithful to their sealing covenant they will be together forever.
Personal revelations
Temples/churches/mosques are not only a place to worship or learn, but also a place for receiving personal revelations, that include solace during the time of trial, difficulty and grief. While churches offer the facility to confess to the father, temples and mosques allow you to talk to the maulanas or the pundits who could guide you through your bad times in life.
Nicely written :)
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