To people of all faiths, who do you pray to?

Question

What do you call the one that you pray to? Do you believe he/she is the same being that everyone else prays to, just with different names? or do you believe that your "God" is different from the "God" of other faiths? If so, do you believe that the other ones exist or that people of those other faiths are praying to imaginary beings?

I am just a curious Christian. I believe that there is only one God (no matter what you call him) and he hears all our prayers. I'm just curious what other people believe, Chrisians or not. I'm not here to be judgemental, I just think it is interesting to hear other people's points of view.

You don't have to agree with me to get best answer, I'll consider all answers for how well written and diplomatic they are.

Answer 1

I pray to Jehovah and I end all prayers in his Son's name (Jesus) since no one gets to the Father unless they go through the Son. The head of man is Christ and the head of Christ is Jehovah. Jesus is the mediator between Jehovah and mankind.

Answer 2

I don't pray. I do meditate, which some consider prayer a form of. Meditation means to focus the mind, which prayer does do. Zen does not have a god, though one can be both Buddhist and in a religion that has god(s), so I don't have anything to pray to.

I don't know if there is a god or gods of either or neither gender. Zen doesn't answer that question, moreover, it doesn't consider that question important since it can't be answered. Zen is about, as DT Suzuki puts it best, seeing into the nature of one's own being. Seeing means not just looking, but understanding, too. So, while Zen doesn't say there is a god, it doesn't say that there isn't either; nor does it say that you cannot worship one or more. I choose not to.

As far as the conventional thought that Jehovah = Allah, I don't believe that. Yes, their followers have the same roots. Both began with Abraham. However, since they branched enough to become two separate religions with two separate methods of practicing religion, I think they're two different gods. Cousins or brothers, perhaps, but separate from each other.

Answer 3

I believe their is someone out there who answers the prayers of everyone, and that person is Jesus Christ. All of the people in other religions who pray to a "different" god are actually praying to one God. IN order for these people to spend eternity with him they have to accept him as their personal Lord and Savior. God heres the prayers of everyone even those of people who do not have a religion. If he didnt how could anyone become a Christian. It is very important that everyone has a Faith to keep them going in life. I think the the question you asked is very interesting and deep, and it is good to here someone who does not care if others agree with them.

Answer 4

I pray to the God of Abraham, i.e. the "Christian God."

I believe that he hears all people's prayers, even those that aren't directed at him (though this doesn't mean he chooses to answer those that aren't intended for him...).

I believe that people praying to other gods are praying to false/imaginary gods that have been given images in this world by Satan and his followers. They have been deceived, and the god or gods they think are listening aren't really there.

This might sound, indeed be, offensive to many people, and I'm not trying to offend here; simply offering up my two cents. If you (not you the asker, but anybody reading this) are that offended by what I write, then simply disregard it. No reason that you have to accept what I assert as anywhere near truth...

But I do believe that God hears all prayers. He hears and sees all. I just don't think he answers any of those prayers unless he has good reason to...

Answer 5

I am muslim and I pray to Allah, which means The One Creator of All that Exists, BUT we also have names that are attributes to Him like The Most Merciful Ar Rahman in arabic. We believe he is the same God as the christians and the jews but we believe that jesus was a prophet born of the virgin mary and we do not pray to anyone but God.
As for if we believe that God hears the prayers of others. Ofcourse God hears everything and though they might be misguided God would not let sincere worship go unanswered. BUT we should strive to worship God in the way HE wants us to not from our own desires.
Pray that helps.

Answer 6

Usually I'll address my prayers to "Mother Goddess, Father God". If I'm looking for something more specific, I will use a different name, primarily using the Greek pantheon. For example, a prayer for healing might be addressed to Apollo, a prayer for wisdom or guidance might be addressed to Athena. Because of the historical background of these aspects, for me it provides more focus than the broader "God/dess" address.

I do believe that the various gods are all facets of the same diamond - the same being, aspected into something that people can relate to and associate with. I think the Deity as an overall entity is beyond consciousness, beyond gender, and beyond our understanding.

Answer 7

a. I pray to God, Allah,Jehovah whatever you want to call this being, but God is the name I use for prayer.

b. Yes, different names same being.As for the 'imaginary beings' part as long as it is in the imagination then it is a reality for that person/s so it is real for them.

For me I am of no strict denomination, but I would say that I am spiritual. I believe their is an omnipresent being that overseas all actions within our universe and that we are intrinsically linked with this being. God is our insperation and imagination, whether that makes us Gods in our own right I do not know but we all return to the source eventually.

Answer 8

I am LDS (Mormon), and we pray to our Heavenly Father.

Here is a simple explanation of the way we pray:

Prayer is the way we communicate with our Father in Heaven. Heavenly Father is always willing to listen to your deepest feelings and concerns. You wouldn’t talk to your best friend by following a rigid written text, nor would you do all the talking. It is the same with prayer. Don’t worry too much about the “mechanics” of your prayer. Just open up your heart and speak to Him.
A simple prayer should follow four basic steps:

Address God as “Father in Heaven” or “Heavenly Father.”
Thank Him for the things for which you are grateful (“We thank thee for . . .”).
Ask Him for what you need (“We ask thee . . .”).
Jesus is the mediator (1 John 2:1) between us and Heavenly Father, so close your prayer by saying, “In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

Answer 9

Believe it or not ,

When a person pray with closed eyes or opened eyes ...what or to him he is concentrating is most of the time to himself and at the same time he is using the name or the image / figure of concentration (if he has and it is depends on ones` religion). This you can see only in a point of view ,,,,if you stand in the middle of all different believes ....but if you stick to one faith only, not easy to understand ...I mean we sholud have an open heart.

Answer 10

I pray to whatever name sounds good at the moment, because for me all names are just "nicknames" for the Great All. If I am stressed out and need help sorting things out, I call on Hermes, because the Greeks named him god of communication. If I need parenting guidance, I pray to the Goddess, who is the mother of all life. If I am depressed, I call to Father, because he lifts me up and sets me backon my feet. If I am REALLY desperate, I call to the Great All itself, as the genderless God. The names themselves mean nothing. It's the emotional weight they carry that is most significant.
It's kinda like this. You have a lover, say his name is Matt (no significance). In bed with him you may call Dearest, because you are closest to him spiritually and emotionally then. If you are angry with him you may call him Idiot. If you need a favor, you call him Honey or Sweetie. If he gives you a gift, you call him Darling...
Make sense?