Do you believe in prayer? Why?

Answer 1

Prayer is an active effort to communicate with a deity or spirit, including a monotheist God, Saints, gods within a pantheon, or others; either to offer praise, to make a request, or simply to express one's thoughts and emotions. The words of the prayer may either be a set hymn or incantation, or a spontaneous utterance in the devotee's own words.

Contents [hide]
1 Forms of prayer
2 The act of prayer
3 Prayer in Western religions
3.1 Prayer in the Bible
3.2 Jewish prayer
3.3 Christian prayer
3.4 Christian Science prayer
3.5 Islamic prayer
3.6 Bahá'í prayer
3.7 Neopagan prayers
4 Prayer in Eastern religions
4.1 Buddhism
4.2 Hindu prayer
4.3 Prayer in Jainism
5 Philosophical paradoxes of prayer
6 Approaches to prayer
6.1 The educational approach
6.2 The Kabbalistic view of prayer
6.3 The rationalist approach
6.4 The experiential approach
7 Experimental evaluation of prayer
8 Historical polytheistic prayer
9 Prevalence
10 See also
11 References and footnotes
12 External links



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Forms of prayer

Muslims at prayerThe great spiritual traditions offer a veritable treasure trove of devotional acts. There are morning and evening prayers, graces said over meals, and reverent physical gestures. Christians bow their heads and fold their hands. Native Americans dance. Sufis whirl. Hindus chant. Orthodox Jews sway their bodies back and forth. Quakers keep silent.

Among these methodologies are a variety of approaches to understanding prayer:

The belief that the finite can actually communicate with the infinite;
The belief that the infinite is interested in communicating with the finite;
The belief that the prayer is listened to and may or may not get a response;
The belief that prayer is intended to inculcate certain attitudes in the one who prays, rather than to influence the recipient;
The belief that prayer is intended to train a person to focus on the recipient through philosophy and intellectual contemplation;
The belief that prayer is intended to enable a person to gain a direct experience of the recipient;
The belief that prayer is intended to affect the very fabric of reality itself;
The belief that the recipient expects or appreciates prayer
The existence of prayer is attested in written sources as early as 5000 years ago. Anthropologists believe that the earliest intelligent modern humans practiced something that we would recognize today as prayer.

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The act of prayer

Buddhist prayer in Thailand.Praying has many different forms. Prayer may be done privately and individually, or it may be done corporately in the presence of fellow believers. Some outward acts that sometimes accompany prayer are: ringing a bell; burning incense or paper; lighting a candle or candles; facing a specific direction (i.e. towards Mecca or the East); making the sign of the cross.


Praying Hands by Albrecht Dürer showing the hand position of a medieval commendation ceremony.A variety of body postures may be assumed, often with specific meaning (mainly respect or adoration) associated with them: standing; sitting; kneeling; prostrate on the floor; eyes opened; eyes closed; hands folded or clasped; hands upraised; and others. Prayers may be recited from memory, read from a book of prayers, or composed spontaneously as they are prayed. They may be said, chanted, or sung. They may be with musical accompaniment or not. Prayer may be unconscious. There may be a time of outward silence while prayers are offered mentally. Often, there are prayers to fit specific occasions, such as the blessing of a meal, the birth or death of a loved one, other significant events in the life of a believer, or days of the year that have special religious significance. Details corresponding to specific traditions are outlined below.

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Prayer in Western religions
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Prayer in the Bible
In the common Bible of the Abrahamic religions, various forms of prayer appear; the most common form is petition. This in many ways is the simplest form of prayer. Some have termed this the "social approach" to prayer. In this view, a person directly confronts God in prayer, and asks for his or her needs to be fulfilled; God listens to prayer, and may or may not choose to answer. This is the primary approach to prayer found in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, most of the Church writings, and in rabbinic literature such as the Talmud.

See also: Tanakh, New Testament, Prayer in the Hebrew Bible & Prayer in the New Testament
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Jewish prayer
Main article: Jewish services
Jews pray three times a day, or more on special days, such as the Shabbat and Jewish holidays. The siddur is the prayerbook used by Jews the world over, containing a set order of daily prayers. Jewish prayer is usually described as having two aspects: kavanah (intention) and keva (the ritualistic, structured elements).

The most important Jewish prayers are the Shema Yisrael ("Hear O Israel") and the Amidah ("the standing prayer").

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Christian prayer
Further information: Prayer in Christianity
Further information: Christian Worship

18th c. Byzantine-style bronze panagia from Jerusalem, showing the Virgin Mary in the orans prayer posture.Christian prayers are very varied. They can be totally spontaneous, or read entirely from a text, like the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. Probably the most common and universal prayer among Christians is the Lord's Prayer.

Prayers often end with "In Jesus' Name" or a Trinitarian doxology such as "through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever." And "Amen."

There is also the form of prayer called hesychast which is a repetition for the purpose of meditation. In the West, probably the most common form is the Rosary; In the Eastern Church, the Jesus Prayer.

Prayers said by Christians are described in the article on Prayer in Christianity.

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Christian Science prayer
Christian Science teaches that prayer is a spiritualization of thought or an understanding of God and of the nature of the underlying spiritual creation. Adherents believe that this can result in healing, by bringing spiritual reality (the "Kingdom of Heaven" in Biblical terms) into clearer focus in the human scene. The world as it appears to the senses is regarded as a distorted version of the world of spiritual ideas: the latter is the only true reality. Prayer can heal the distortion. Christian Scientists believe that prayer does not change the spiritual creation but gives a clearer view of it, and the result appears in the human scene as healing: the human picture adjusts to coincide more nearly with the divine reality. Prayer works through love: the recognition of God's creation as spiritual, intact and inherently lovable.

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Islamic prayer

Muslims praying at the Hajj, Mecca.Main article: Salah
Muslims pray a brief ritualistic prayer called Salah in Arabic, facing Kaaba in Mecca, five times a day. The "call for prayer" is called Adhan or Azaan, where the "Mu-dhan" calls for all the followers to stand together for the prayer . There are also many standard Duas or supplications, also in Arabic, to be recited at various times, e.g. for one's parents, after Salah, before eating. Muslims may also say dua in their own words and languages for any issue they wish to communicate with God in the hope that God will answer their prayers.

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Bahá'í prayer
Bahá'u'lláh, the Báb, and `Abdu'l-Bahá have revealed many prayers for general use, and some for specific occasions, including for unity, detachment, spiritual upliftment, and healing among others. Bahá'ís are also required to recite each day one of three obligatory prayers revealed by Bahá'u'lláh. The believers have been enjoined to face in the direction of the Qiblih when reciting their Obligatory Prayer. The longest obligatory prayer may be recited at any time during the day; another, of medium length, is recited once in the morning, once at midday, and once in the evening; and the shortest can be recited anytime between noon and sunset. This is the text of the short prayer: I bear witness, O my God, that Thou hast created me to know Thee and to worship Thee. I testify, at this moment, to my powerlessness and to Thy might, to my poverty and to Thy wealth. There is none other God but Thee, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting. Bahá'ís also read from and meditate on the scriptures every morning and evening.

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Neopagan prayers
Many modern Neopagans pray to various Gods. The most commonly worshiped and prayed to Gods are those of Pre-Christian Europe, such as Celtic, Norse or Graeco-Roman Gods. Prayer can vary from sect to sect, and with some (such as Wicca) prayer may also be associated with ritual magick.

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Prayer in Eastern religions
In contrast with Western religion, Eastern religion for the most part discards worship and places devotional emphasis on the practice of meditation alongside scriptural study.

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Buddhism

Buddhists praying at Wat Phra Kaew, Tailand.In certain Buddhist sects, prayer accompanies meditation. Buddhism for the most part sees prayer as a secondary, supportive practice to meditation and scriptural study. Gautama Buddha claimed that human beings possess the capacity and potential to be liberated, or enlightened, through contemplation, leading to insight. Prayer is seen mainly as a powerful psycho-physical practice that can enhance meditation.

In the earliest Buddhist tradition, the Theravada, and in the later Mahayana tradition of Zen (or Chán), prayer plays only an ancillary role. It is largely a ritual expression of wishes for success in the practice and in helping all beings. However it can also be a way of expressing respect and appreciation to the individual person of the Buddha, who is said to still exist though in a higher dimension.
The Mahayana tradition of Tibetan Buddhism emphasises an instructive and devotional relationship to a guru; this may involve devotional practices similar to prayer. It also posits the existence of various deities. But how practitioners relate to them will depend upon the 'level' at which they are practicing. At one level, one may pray to a deity for protection or assistance, taking a more subordinate role. At another level, one may invoke the deity, on a more equal footing. And at a higher level one may deliberately cultivate the idea that one has 'become' the deity, whilst remaining aware that its ultimate nature is shunyata.
Pure Land Buddhism emphasises the recitation of prayer-like mantras by devotees. On one level it is said that reciting these mantras can ensure rebirth into a spiritual 'pure land' after death, where one may work further towards one's enlightenment with greater ease. On another, the practice is a form of meditation aimed at achieving realisation.
But beyond all these practices the Buddha emphasised the primacy of individual practice and experience. He said that supplication to gods or deities was not necessary. Nevertheless, today many lay people in East Asian countries pray to the Buddha in ways that resemble Western prayer - asking for intervention and offering devotion.

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Hindu prayer
Main article: Prayer in Hinduism

A Hindu woman praying to Hanuman by lighting incense sticks at the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai.Hinduism has incorporated many kinds of prayer (Sanskrit: prārthanā), from fire-based rituals to philosophical musings. Ritual invocation was part and parcel of the Vedic religion and as such permeated their sacred texts. Indeed, the highest sacred texts of the Hindus, the Vedas, are a large collection of mantras and prayer rituals. Classical Hinduism came to focus on extolling a single supreme force, Brahman, that is made manifest in several lower forms as the familiar gods of the Hindu pantheon. Hindus in India have numerous devotional movements. Hindus may pray to the highest absolute God Brahman, or more commonly to Its three manifestations namely creator god called Brahma, preserver god called Vishnu and detroyer god (so that the creation cycle can start afresh) Shiva, and at the next level to Vishnu's avatars (earthly appearances) Rama and Krishna or to many other male or female deities.

Typically, like most Christians, the Hindus pray with their hands (the palms) joined together. The hand gesture is similar to the polpular Indian greeting namaste.

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Prayer in Jainism
Although Jains believe that no spirit or divine being can assist them on their path, they do hold some influence, and on special occasions, Jains will pray for right knowledge to the twenty-four Tirthankaras (saintly teachers).




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Philosophical paradoxes of prayer
There are a number of philosophical paradoxes involving prayer to an omnipotent God, namely:

How is it possible for a sinful person to approach a holy God? What sacrifice is necessary to do so, be it from our effort or another's (i.e. a personal Savior)?
If a person deserves the recipient of the prayer to give him the thing he prays for, why doesn't he receive it, even without prayer? And if a person is not deserving of it, then even if that person does pray and request it, should it be given just because of his prayer?
Is it necessary to pray with speech? Are grunts and emotions enough and is there a way for them to be translated? Doesn't the recipient know the thoughts of all people?
If the recipient is all-knowing, then doesn't that mean that they would know what we are going to ask for, even before we pray? This paradox is acknowledged in the discourse on ostentation, which forms part of the Sermon on the Mount.
Is it possible for a human being to change the mind of the recipient of the prayer? Or is the purpose of prayer more about the prayer process changing the recipient?
Do human beings actually have the ability to praise an omniscient and omnipotent entity? Praising is difficult to do without describing, yet how can a finite human being know anything about the entity's ultimate nature unless this was somehow disclosed by the deity? (This question was the subject of heated debate among many religious philosophers; one such debate took place in the 14th century between Gregory Palamas and Barlaam of Calabria.)
The prerequisite of asking for a favour is faith in the recipient of the prayer. But asking to change an aspect of creation seems to be expressing a dissatisfaction with the way things are - and hence not trusting the "plan." Why should human prayers affect the decisions of a deity?
Many of these questions have been discussed in Jewish, Christian and Muslim writings from the medieval period onward. The 900s to 1200s saw some of the most fertile discussion on these questions, during the period of Neo-Platonic and Neo-Aristotelian philosophy. Discussion of these problems never ceased entirely, but they did fall mostly from the public view for several centuries, until The Enlightenment reignited philosophical inquiry into theological issues.

All of these questions have been discussed in many Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious texts. There was much intellectual cross-fertilization between Jews, Christians and Muslims during parts of the middle-ages, and so there is much convergence among some of the rationalist philosophers of that era. Many of these texts offer proposed resolutions to some or all of these paradoxes.

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Approaches to prayer
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The educational approach
In this view, prayer is not a conversation. Rather, it is meant to inculcate certain attitudes in the one who prays, but not to influence. Among Jews, this has been the approach of Rabbenu Bachya, Yehuda Halevy, Joseph Albo, Samson Raphael Hirsch, and Joseph Dov Soloveitchik. This view is expressed by Rabbi Nosson Scherman in the overview to the Artscroll Siddur (p. XIII); note that Scherman goes on to also affirm the Kabbalistic view (see below).

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The Kabbalistic view of prayer
Traditional kabbalah (esoteric Jewish mysticism) embraces the social approach, in which prayer is viewed as a dialogue. It further refines the approach by presenting exact kavanot, directions of intent, to specify the path the prayer ascends in the dialog to increases its chances of being answered favorably. Among Jews, this approach has been taken by the Chassidei Ashkenaz (German pietists of the Middle-Ages), the Zohar, the Arizal's Kabbalist tradition, the Ramchal, most of Hassidism, the Vilna Gaon and Jacob Emden.

Many people involved with kabbalah outside of traditional Jewish training follow an approach that often rejects rationalist reinterpreations of prayer outright, but also rejects the social approach, in which prayer is viewed as a dialogue. Instead, this approach ascribes a higher meaning to the purpose of prayer, which is no less than affecting the very fabric of reality itself, restructuring and repairing the universe in a real fashion. For these Kabbalists, every prayer, every word of every prayer, and indeed, even every letter of every word of every prayer, has a precise meaning and a precise effect. In Kabbalah and related mystical belief systems, adherents claim intimate knowledge about the way in which the divine relates to us and the physical universe in which we live. For people with this view, prayers can literally affect the mystical forces of the universe and repair the fabric of creation.


Jewish Siddur[edit]
The rationalist approach
In this view, ultimate goal of prayer is to help train a person to focus on divinity through philosophy and intellectual contemplation. This approach was taken by Maimonides and the other medieval rationalists; it became popular in Jewish, Christian and Islamic intellectual circles, but never became the most popular understanding of prayer among the laity in any of these faiths. In all three of these faiths today, a significant minority of people still hold to this approach.

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The experiential approach
In this approach, the purpose of prayer is to enable the person praying to gain a direct experience of the recipient of the prayer (or as close to direct as a specific theology permits). This approach is very significant in Christianity and widespread in Judaism (although less popular theologically). In Eastern Orthodoxy, this approach is known as hesychasm. It is also widespread in Sufi Islam, and in some forms of mysticism. It has some similarities with the rationalist approach, since it can also involve contemplation, although the contemplation is not generally viewed as being as rational or intellectual. It also has some similarities with the Kabbalistic view, but it lacks the Kabbalistic emphasis on the importance of individual words and letters.

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Experimental evaluation of prayer
A famous statistical experiment to determine whether or not prayer had a physical effect on the external environment was conducted by Francis Galton in 1872. Galton hypothesized that if prayer was effective, members of the British Royal family would live longer, given that thousands prayed for their wellbeing every Sunday. He therefore compared longevity in the British Royal family with that of the general population, and found no difference[1]. While the experiment was probably intended to satirize, and suffered from a number of confounders, it set the precedent for a number of different studies, the results of which are contradictory.

A number of studies have suggested that patients who are being prayed for recover more quickly or more frequently. One such study, with a double-blind design and about 500 subjects per group, suggested that intercessory prayer by born again Christians had a statistically significant positive effect on a coronary care unit population[2]. Sicher et al suggested statistically significant benefits to a group being prayed for ten years later[3]. Another such study was reported by Harris et al[4]. Critics claim Byrd's 1988 study was not fully double-blinded, and that in the Harris study, patients actually had a longer hospital stay in the prayer group, if one discounts the patients in both groups who left before prayers began[citation needed].

There have been many other randomized, blind clinical trials showing statistically significant positive effects of prayer. One of the largest was a remote retroactive intercessory prayer study conducted in Israel by Leibovici. This study used 3393 patient records from 1990-96, and blindly assigned some of these to an intercessory prayer group. The prayer group had shorter hospital stays and duration of fever[5].

Several studies of prayer effectiveness have yielded null results[6]. A 2001 double-blind study of the Mayo Clinic found no significant difference in the recovery rates between people who were (unbeknownst to them) assigned to a group that prayed for them and those who were not[7]. Similarly, the MANTRA study conducted by Duke University found no differences in outcome of cardiac procedures as a result of prayer[8]. In another similar study published in the American Heart Journal in 2006, Christian intercessory prayer when reading a scripted prayer was found to have no effect on the recovery of heart surgery patients; however, the study found patients who had knowledge of receiving prayer had slightly higher instances of complications than those who did not know if they were being prayed for or those who did not receive prayer.[9]

Many accept that prayer can aid in recovery, not due to divine influence but due to psychological and physical benefits. It has also been suggested that if a person knows that he or she is being prayed for it can be uplifting and increase morale, thus aiding recovery. (See Subject-expectancy effect.) Many studies have suggested that prayer can reduce physical stress, regardless of the god or gods a person prays to, and this may be true for many worldly reasons. According to a study by Centra State Hospital, "the psychological benefits of prayer may help reduce stress and anxiety, promote a more positive outlook, and strengthen the will to live."[10] Other practices such as Yoga, Tai Chi, and Meditation may also have a positive impact on physical and psychological health.

Some feel that the concept of conducting prayer experiments reflects a misunderstanding of the purpose of prayer.

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Historical polytheistic prayer
In ancient religions of Greeks and Romans (Ancient Greek religion, Roman religion), ceremonial prayer was highly formulaic and ritualized. The Iguvine Tables contain a supplication that can be translated, "If anything was said improperly, if anything was done improperly, let it be as if it were done correctly."

The formalism and formulaic nature of these prayers led them to be written down in language that may have only been partially understood by the writer, and our texts of these prayers may in fact be garbled. Prayers in Etruscan were used in the Roman world by augurs and other oracles long after Etruscan became a dead language. The Carmen Arvale and the Carmen Saliare are two specimens of partially preserved prayers that seem to have been unintelligible to their scribes, and whose language is full of archaisms and difficult passages.

Roman prayers and sacrifices were often envisioned as legal bargains between deity and worshipper. The Roman formula was do ut des: "I give, so that you may give in return." Cato the Elder's treatise on agriculture contains many examples of preserved traditional prayers; in one, a farmer addresses the unknown deity of a possibly sacred grove, and sacrifices a pig in order to placate the god or goddess of the place and beseech his or her permission to cut down some trees from the grove.

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Prevalence
Some modalities of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) employ prayer. A survey released in May 2004 by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, found that in 2002, 43% of Americans pray for their own health, 24% pray for others health, and 10% participate in a prayer group for their own health.

Answer 2

I most definately believe in prayer. If I go too long without praying, my soul suffers and I start feeling down. God has answered so many of my prayers - even if I just have a question about something, I will get the answer through His word or another person. I've been truly amazed at how God works and how he responds to prayer.

Answer 3

Hi, yes I do believe in prayer. One reason being that in a time of need instead of getting depressed you seek out G-D and you feel better already. Even for small things that seem insignificant to ask for, by asking your building a closer relationship with G-D, and no you are not bothering Him or wasting His time.

Answer 4

Yes. There is Power in Prayer. God has answered many Prayers for me. The Bible says, ask and it shall be given. Knock, and it shall be opened to you.Seek, and you shall find. If your heart is right with the Lord, and you have Faith, God will answer your Prayers. You have to put your Faith, and Trust in Him.

Answer 5

Yes, I believe in pray. Why, because it works and God hears and answers every prayer. Prayer is communicating with God, listening to God in our hearts and acknowledging Him as a very integral part of our life, without Him, nothing is meaningful.

Answer 6

why I believe in prayer is because praying is when you believe in Jesus.,God can bless you with so much .God is real.Sometimes people feel that God doest hear what is said,but he comes not when you want . we should pray ever day .God is a forgiving God .when you can't talk to family or friends good is there his there to wake you every morning he brings life in you. the more you pray the more you gain strength nothing could hurt you or make you feel like you are not loved.

Answer 7

Yes!
Because it is how to communicate with a Heavenly Father who desires our questions, problems, yearnings, hopes, and above all, deserves our praise!

I"VE SEEN IT AT WORK! I've seen too many lives restored, too many wounds healed, too many empty hearts filled, to say that it doesn't work.
I've also seen the supernatural dealings of an Almighty God work in ways that I KNOW! only HE could have done it...

I've felt His sweet Presence, in the early morning hours. So much so, that it gave me the energy I so desperately need to carry me through the day!

If I didn't have Him to talk to...Where would I go?!!! Whom could I absolutely trust? Who else has the Power to change ALL that is wrong in the world? and Who else has the awesomeness to celebrate all that is right with the world?

Still wondering & Love horses? Read~ "Hope Rising" by Kim Meeder! Then try to tell me there isn't a God who cares!....

Answer 8

Yes, because God said to.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Answer 9

Yes, I believe in prayer because I've seen it work.

Answer 10

YES Jesus said to pray and so did many others in the BIble so that you can talk to God but he also says that God knows what you want before you ask it. Keep praying and praising.

Answer 11

yes i believe because GOD answers prayer. hey why won't you give him a try.Ask him something in faith.