Harneet is a Sikh woman and mother. Prayer has changed for her; from childhood to the workday world, prayer evolved as Harneet grew: Prayer is for all, for the well-being of everyone.
Harneet
(For every person, for every individual it (prayer) means different and you can’t just explain it: because it comes from inside. )
What does prayer mean to you?
To me prayer is a connection between an individual and God. If you have faith in God then you pray; it comes from inside. Your faith deepens as you pray and it will grow everyday – like every moment – it grows.
Who taught you to pray?
My family were religious. Right from the beginning I saw them praying and then they taught me how to pray.
When I was a child I just knew I have to sit down and it should be peaceful and quiet when you pray. I need a scarf to cover my head. We read from the Book – they’re different prayers and some I remember by my heart – without looking at the Book. Now, with technology we have prayers on our phones; so you can download the prayers – you can read from the phone or your tablet or you can listen to the prayer or you can watch and say the prayers with the person who is doing the prayer. Sometimes it’s handy on the phone – you can do it anywhere – if you’re on a holiday or gone overseas.
For every person, for every individual it (prayer) means different and you can’t just explain it: because it comes from inside. It is somewhere inside your heart and you can feel it.
Not every time your prayer is going to be answered by the God, but still, prayer gives you that strength to go through those times. Let’s say you have trouble and don’t know what to do, you don’t have any help but if you pray and keep praying and have that faith naturally and automatically you will get that strength from God to go through that bad time and your problem will be solved. That’s what I feel and I think but it’s different for everyone.
Has prayer changed for you over the years?
It has changed, like when I was child I was taught by my parents like you have to pray like this. We pray every day. We pray in the morning. We pray at night before we go to bed.
It changed with time as I was growing; then I started realising the meaning of prayer. It is still changing. First, I just thought (that) we just prayed or if we want – if I want to get something – I just prayed and I will get that. But now the meaning has changed and now I know you just pray – doesn’t matter if there are good times or bad times – I just don’t pray for myself because my religion teaches me you pray for everyone, you pray for humanity, for the well-being of everyone
I don’t just sit down and pray, I just pray any time – when I’m working or doing something or I’m driving I pray. Things have changed now I am mother of two so I have to find sometime but even if I don’t find time – every day I still try to pray.
