THE IMPLICATION OF SACRIFICE AND PRAYER IN MARTIN BUBER'S PHILOSOPHY OF RELATIONSHIP

What nourishes relationship between couples, friends or relatives is communication. Hence, once there is a communication gap in any of these relationships, therefore, suspicions willsurely set in. Meanwhile, relationship is founded and is sustained in a genuine dialogue, give-and-take of talk. This is equally applicable in man's authentic relationship with the eternal Thou- God himself. For man to man relationship to be genuine there is serious need for communication and commitment. In like manner, man to God relationship is accomplished and sustain ed by way of sacrifice and prayer. What communication and commitment is in person to person relationship is exactly the function of sacrifice and prayer in the relationship between God and man. However, God is a being of intellection and man is necessarily endowed with intellect. Hence, this man that is endowed with intellect must be able to hear something from God should God wishes to say something. Consequently, God does communicate through creation and in every day happenings and events of life. Hence, inthe sight of God every event, situation and circumstance of life becomes a language. This man who stands before God should be able to decipher God's communication in the events, situations and circumstances of life. These and more are what the researcher sets out to unfold in this paper. However, to achieve this, therefore, he employs the philosophical method of reflection and appraisal.