Between praying to the Gods and requesting for help, there is a slight difference that everyone should be aware of.
Since many come from Christian or Muslim backgrounds, where "prayer" is only just empty and no information is given, or where people literally pray to nothingness, there are many problems around understanding what this is. When these problems are carried into one's transition in Zevism, where the Gods are real and the Ancient Faith brings reality on this topic, confusion can be created. This topic will clarify that confusion.
For all purposes, one must pray to the Gods. Telling them your issues, or asking them for help to overcome certain obstacles, is always good for you. To pray to them is very good and very essential. Not every prayer necessitates that one is begging for help. After all, the Gods do not want you to become a dependent slave upon them, so they lead you to discover your own inner power to solve your own problems. This makes you an independent and capable person.
Prayer actually in the context of the real Gods, facilitates this process where you discover your personal powers. Summoning to receive help is another situation, as this process is aimed in you actually asking them and their help to do something (which is not done by you). The two things are described as prayer or "contact" and fall under the same general category, but they are two different things.
Prayer is basic communication that requests for wisdom, protection, thanksgiving, or related things. Through prayer, you seek to facilitate your bond with the Gods and to improve yourself. One can always, and should be after praying. The purpose here is not reckless inter-dependence, it's to form healthy and powerful bonds.
Summoning should best be used for requesting of help, in cases where there can be lack of control, serious topics, or in cases where one needs urgent attention. It differs from prayer in the situation that one requests help from the Gods and work on their behalf. Summoning can be used by those who still have not established very strong connections, so they find out more experiences to start building trust over time. Prayer also further facilitates this.
If you pray to the Gods to give you guidance and assistance, there is abundant ability for them to do so. Every reason to pray to them is valid; including just to thank them, or to request wisdom in order to handle certain tasks.
One must not stray from this thinking the Gods will be busy or that one should not concern them. This situation here applies to the cases of people who constantly ask for help in the form of the Gods taking all your problems and "solving them" for you. This can lead to disappointments around the fact that if one does this all the time, you are not doing what needs to be done in order to solve these yourself. When that is done, the Gods usually will respond by guiding you instead to solve these problems. That means further that you have the ability to solve these problems.
Summoning and other forms of more direct contact, can of course be done so you can receive proof that the Gods are there and watching as actual forms of consciousness. This will strengthen your faith and help you, especially if you are new, to understand their existence better. Prayer versus full blown summoning, differs in the intensity and your intentions are what matters here, as in why you do what you do.
Certain people carrying over mentality from Christianity or Islam, think that the Gods or the ruling powers of the Universe are going to help you on things that you do not necessarily require help. Our side differs here in that one must find the power and think things through, in order to cause these necessary changes themselves.
When certain situations are beyond your control (calamities and the like) one must in all cases pray to the Gods. If these are actually beyond your control, then the Gods will most certainly assist you.
The more willingness one shows to assist the Gods and their undertakings, which are always aimed at improvement of one's self and others, the more direct help they can receive from them. This can be very direct, and this type of level is not decided by empty beliefs about one's self, but based on the sheer amount of work and creative ability one is doing for them. This is not relative to size, it's connected to how much true action you are taking.
Honesty is what is going to help you and save you in most situations, so make sure to always be very honest and upfront with the Gods, since they are beyond deception and any forms of human tricks.
Lastly, in a more direct example, if one thinks they are this or that, that is not sufficient enough to procure the changes or boss the Gods around. Such cases of people will experience disappointments which arise out of false inflation of self, which is very far distanced as an approach compared to what one should be having. The Gods cannot be bossed around.
One must work a relationship with them, and a way to form this is by trying to understand them. This understanding is greatly facilitated by both prayer, or summonings, and takes a while to build. After it is built, one knows how these things go without too many questions.
As the relationship with the Gods is undoubtedly the most important to have, it's mportant to treat it in high sanctity, and understand it. To understand it, one must engage in this. Through engagement, comes the necessary learning that leads one progressively to success in forming that important relationship.
In a final note, the Gods always listen to you and one must be entirely convinced of this. If one hears back or understands clearly is not relevant, one will get this in time. It will take time to open up and understand, but it's the most worthwhile thing one can do in life, as this will be your gateway to true evolution and wisdom.
-High Priest Zevios Metathronos
