Will God help devotees in their spiritual efforts?

[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on October 5, 2020, in which several devotees participated. Some of the questions of devotees answered by Swāmi are given below.]

Will God help devotees in their spiritual efforts? (11 of 11)

Swāmi replied: God will certainly help anybody having real interest in the spiritual life. Interest (śraddhā) is very important for progress. When you go to a doctor, he checks you and gives you his prescription. If you are truly interested in curing your illness, you will go to the medical shop, purchase the medicines and consume them as directed, in order to get good health. Here, the help of the doctor is in giving the correct prescription, which is the most important step since it gives the right direction. All the help of the doctor ends after giving the correct prescription. After that, you have to help yourself (Uddharedātmanā'tmānam...—Gītā). If you expect the doctor to purchase the medicines and give them to you at regular intervals, it shows your laziness in doing good work for your own welfare. God will do the work that cannot be done by you, which is like writing the correct prescription, but you should do the work that can be done by you.

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| Shri Datta Swami | Will God help devotees in their spiritual efforts? | shraddha Uddharedatmanatmanam Gita

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