Why People Pray – Is It Faith or Fear?

A young boy once asked his grandmother, “Aaji, why do we pray to God?”

She smiled and said, “Because he protects us, gives us strength, and makes everything right.”

The boy thought for a moment and asked, “What if he couldn’t? What if God had no power?”

His grandmother didn’t answer right away. She just looked at him, her eyes filled with thoughts she had never spoken out loud.

Have We Always Worshiped Power?

Look at history. Every civilization has bowed to something greater than itself—the sun, the sky, the ocean, the rulers, the rich. Power has always demanded devotion.

We believe in God because we are told he can change things. He can grant wishes, punish wrongs, and turn fate in our favor. That is why we fold our hands, isn’t it?

But take away the power, and what’s left?

Would we still kneel if God had no control over life and death? Would temples and shrines still stand if there were no miracles?

Or would we quietly walk away, realizing that our devotion was never about God, but about what he could do for us?

Worship Out of Fear or Worship Out of Love?

Every twelve years, crores of people gather for the Kumbh Mela, taking a dip in the holy rivers. They believe that the water washes away their sins, cleanses their past, and brings them closer to God. The sheer faith that moves millions is unquestionable. But what if one day, science proved that the dip holds no spiritual weight? That it is just water, nothing more?

Would people still travel for days, stand in long lines, and step into the river with the same devotion?

For some, yes. Because faith is not logic; it is feeling. But for many, without the promise of salvation, the ritual would lose its meaning.

Does that mean it was never about God, but about what he was offering?

Do We Love God, or Do We Love What He Can Do for Us?

A businessman once donated lakhs to a temple, asking for success. Every week, he came, bowed, and left money at the feet of the idol. But when his business failed, he never returned.

Not far from that temple, an old man visited a small shrine every day. His life was never easy, his struggles never-ending, but he still prayed. When someone asked him why, he simply said, “I don’t pray to get something. I pray because it feels right.”

So what is faith? Is it loyalty, or is it just another way of holding on to control?

A Question to Leave You With

What if you stood face to face with God. The one which doesn’t punish, doesn’t reward, doesn’t interfere.

Would we still need him?

Maybe faith isn’t about getting what we want. Maybe it’s about having something to hold on to, even when nothing changes.

A prayer is not a transaction. A temple is not a wishing well. And if we only bow to power, then we were never really worshiping God – just a force we hoped would bend in our favor.

Perhaps the real test of faith is not in asking, but in staying – even when there is nothing left to ask for.