Welcome to Gaia! ::

why do you, or people you respect, pray?

George baillie was a religious leader in Scotland. he used to get up early every morning and pray for one hour before starting work.

one time, his church was in a crisis. his assistant told him "George, this is an emergency. Just this once, you should rethink your prayer habits" (thinking to get him more quickly to work).

George replied "you're right!", whereupon he began praying for two hours!

Well, I know of a few reasons that other people pray, but I myself do not pray. I believe that it would be foolish for me to do so, as I am a deistic theist. (My god will not respond to my prayers, because he will not intervene with our day to day life, or our life at all for that matter).

But why do other people pray? Well, there is probably some psychological reason behind it. I know that it probably gives people a sense of some kind of goodness, a sense that they are going to be recieving help. Praying may merely be a form of a placebo effect. I'll post more on this later... after I have finished my papers that are due today.

i believe yelling at god can be just the right thing to do at times. Moses did that, and lo and behold "God repented". so sometimes i act like an obnoxious trial attorney when i pray; at least i feel better for it!

I personally believe that human beings have a massive amount of raw, cosmic power. You can call this whatever you will...some call it magic. Some call it psionics. Some call it God's will or power. Still others call it luck or destiny. I call it faith.

I believe that it is very possible people are able to affect their world around them, directly, through some form of ritual. Pagans, Wiccans in particular, use ornate circles and earth-based will-direction in order to realize their goals. Most Catholic religions use prayer as this focus. Others use their sheer force of will, or call upon their endless supply of good fortune. In the end, it is all the same...the people have exerted their will on the fabric of the their existance, and made a change in it.

For example, think of a person, dying of cancer. Now, sometimes there is nothing that can be done - the existance must pass for the greater good - either because this one life will suffer if it is extended, or because good will come of such saddness. However, in some cases, enough will from enough people will bring about a change in the person's condition. If enough will is exerted by enough of the right people...then magic happens. Or miracles. Or some other name for it...but the person would be whole. All through force of faith.
In a similar thought, think one of the wild, tribal places of the world. Bring technology into one of these places. Now, the tribal people will disbelieve these this technology, or will call it the work of demons. What happens to the technology? It breaks down, stops working, has strange and inexplicable malfunctions. In a similar way to the healing of cancer, a tool is rendered useless by the will of others.

How this uniquely human ability (at least, as far as we can tell) works is beyond any of us. Perhaps a God, Goddess or other power allows us access to this power, allowing us to shape our universe as we like. Perhaps there is some massive power in existance in the human brain, a power that we cannot now tap into (I believe we once could tap this power...the power that forged Stonehenge and the Pyramids...but that's fodder for another discussion). Perhaps it's just luck or fate, some strange and uncontrollable force beyond our comprehension. Perhaps it's a nature of Quantum Physics, a manipulation of which will someday allow us to have perfect lives, each to his own contentment.

I think the most important part is that people come together and merge these inherent natures. Imagine the power that enough people, regardless of beliefs and ideas, come together and put their faith to changing the world. Bringing a more lasting and uniquely maintainable peace to humankind. Feeding the hungry, curing the sick, clothing and protecting the cold and lost. These things can be achieved through faith...no matter what you believe.

At least, I think so.

wisdom of the owl, ferocious focus of the owl, ability to work all night of the owl (yes, i am doing homework tonight!

I pray to commune with God, or as a form of worshipping God. I pray because my Faith emphasizes it, and to ask for guidance or assistance. Most religions have some kind of prayer.

I'm not sure if anyone would call what I do prayer, though I do. It's not so conscious as all that though. I close my eyes, maybe light some incense, maybe put on some calming music, and sort of half-meditate. Rather than blocking out my thoughts, however, I let them flow. Words, pictures, feelings, anything.

I usually only do it when I'm in an extreme mood though; very happy, very depressed, apathetic etc. It feels to me like a communion with the Goddess, like it helps her to understand me, and the reverse. When I'm finished, if I don't just fall asleep, I usually feel invigorated and ready to face whatever's been going on in my life.

I remember trying to pray to the Christian God when I was really young, seven and eight... I didn't feel anything, and I didn't think that was what prayer was supposed to be like. Though for the longest time I thought the blizzard of '96 was my fault, since we never get snow and I'd prayed for it the night before we started... I thought God was punishing me for being selfish and wanting snow xp

my parents and my brother pray 5 times a day everyday at home. And they seem pretty happy. ^_^