Acharya Prashant explains that prayer is not a ritualistic act performed a few times a day, but a continuous state of being. He argues that if one's entire life is filled with distraction, the mind cannot suddenly become focused during a specific time of prayer. True prayer is the surrender of the limited self, or the ego, to the unlimited. It is the greatest possible transaction where one gives up the small self to gain the infinite. However, the ego resists this surrender because it does not want to die, leading to distractions and unnecessary desires during meditation or prayer. To overcome the ego, one must observe it; once the ego is seen for what it is—false and harmful—it naturally loses its grip.