There are many reasons which inspire devotees to make offerings to God or deities in temples. But ultimately, it is our faith that draws us to make any offering to God. And this very faith of ours in turn produces results. The stronger our faith, the greater are the results.

Some do it to illustrate the love and dedication they have for the God.For few, it’s a ritual they have been taught to follow by their elders. And many make the offerings so that God/deities will help them during their difficult times or fulfill their material wishes. By making a devotional offering we sow merit karma, provided our intent is pure and sincere. These merit karmas not only help us progress religiously but they also provide us material happiness. So, whilst making the offering, we should make sure we are focused and present in that moment, and most importantly our intent is pure and sincere.

If one has a tendency of being greedy, making offering to God is a good way of reducing our greed. Our commitment to God compels us to spend money to purchase fruits, flowers, etc. All-day-long one is consumed with either good or bad thoughts. But the moment one enters the pious atmosphere of the temple and gets busy in making offerings to God, for that length of time one finds great inner peace and relief from the constant thinking process.There are also a few rare people who do it with an intention to become like God. In order to make this happen, it is imperative to realize our real Self which is God.

What to ask for from God when making an offering?

Every time you visit a temple, Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan, an enlightened being asks us to say before the idol of God, “Dear Lord, You do reside within me, but since I am not yet acquainted with You as much, I am doing Your darshan here (in the idol). The Gnani Purush, Dada Bhagwan has taught me this method and I am doing Your darshan according to his instructions. Please bestow Your grace upon me so that I may realize my true Self.”

What is the real Self?

The real Self is when we realize the answer to the question of, ‘Who am I’. It is when we realize that we are a pure Soul, which is totally separate from the body. By attaining this knowledge, one becomes free from the burden of the worldly life. Furthermore, we acquire freedom from the perpetual cycle of birth and death as we stop charging new karmas. Therefore, we should always maintain a deep inner intent to acquire the knowledge of our true Self.

To conclude:

We must keep visiting temples, churches or any other place of worship and continue to make an offering to God. As a result, we shall accumulate merit karma. Merit karmas shall lead us to an enlightened being (Gnani).

An enlightened being is the only person in this world who is able to bestow upon us the gift of knowledge of the Self. It is only through this knowledge that we are able to experience permanent happiness or bliss of the Soul which is our real Self.