21 - What Should We Ask From God?

Everybody prays God, some for good health, some for wealth, some for safety, some for fame, position and power etc etc. Now which prayer may consider the best for us? There is a story to illustrate this --

In olden times, there was a king who had several queens. Once it so happened that he had to travel abroad, so he asked his queens that what should he bring for them from abroad. One asked to bring her expensive jewelry, another one asked him to bring rich clothes; yet another one asked him to bring rich decorations for her palace, another one asked for best cosmetics. But the youngest queen continued to smile at these demands and kept quiet. In the end the King asked her what did she want for herself? She said - "I do not want anything for myself except that you come back safely and as soon as possible, because I cannot live without you. I will be praying that you should come back safe and soon."

The King went abroad, and before returning home he made sure that he had bought everything for his queens they asked for. When he came home, he sent all the things to their respective places; but he himself went only to the youngest queen who loved him the most and wanted him only. He was very happy that there was at least one queen who did not want anything for herself except his life and company.

The rest of the queens received the things they had asked for and were happy with them, and the youngest queen got the most precious possession - the King himself.

[Thus we should not pray for perishable things, but for the God Himself. Once we have God, we need nothing else to make us happy.]