Shakti – the divine mother is said to be omniscient, omnipotent and benevolent so why do we need to pray and worship her for invoking her grace? What stops her from showering her grace spontaneously on each one in need🙄?

It does act spontaneously if you look at the vast array of creatures. The animal doesn’t need to pray to get helped. Mechanisms are created by Nature that takes care of everything. The Divine Omniscience acts as sure instinct in animal and plants. However with man the Divine Mother intends something more. She wants us to evolve and become Divine himself. For this a two-way contact is needed to begin with. Then this mutual contact needs to deepen and develop into love which eventually leads to a growing identity. When we are in infancy then the Mother carries us in our unconsciousness through the game of life and death. But when the soul grows into adulthood then the same Mother changes her ways and lets us take the challenges. If She did all directly and spoon fed us then man will either remain an animal or a robot. 

Besides, the ability to pray and aspire is itself special Grace given to man. An intensity of aspiration, a prayer riding on a crest of emotion adds to the charm and joy of being human in an otherwise mechanically driven life tossed by desires and whiplashed to action by fear, egoism and all the rest. On the other hand conscious surrender to the Divine Mother makes the same journey so much more beautiful and delightful through the living contact with the Divine. 

Affectionately,

Alok Da