Can our prayers hurt people?.

Question:

“I started my spiritual journey about one year ago and I sometimes have difficulties recognizing what is from the heart and what is from ego. 

Recently, I have been asked to pray for a premature child who was in a very precarious condition. 

I love the person who asked this – she is our yoga teacher and I understand she was seeking all the support that may be available for her granddaughter. 

My own daughter was in the hospital herself at the same moment and I was very concerned with her health issues. 

When we started to pray in the yoga class, I found myself struggling with the prayer – I found myself willing to put all of my intention into the baby in need, and at the same time not willing to let go of my own daughter also in need. 

Finally, I pushed myself to let go, for one single prayer. 

At this moment, I knew I was doing the right thing, I felt my heart melting and I became so joyful – this must have been from the heart. 

But the day after, I found out that the condition of my daughter had worsened and I felt so guilty. 

I didn’t regret anything but, I kept thinking that I should have done things differently. 

Now, It looks to me that praying is kind of dangerous, because I am not anymore sure about my intentions, are they truly from the heart or is it my ego that is telling me the right thing to do and therefore pushing me into the guilty state if something goes wrong?”