Non-believers - when was the last time you prayed?

Question

The last time I really prayed was when I was 27. My sister phoned and asked me to pray that her son would find his retainer. The same day, there was a horrible earthquake, in Turkey I believe. Something like 1,000 died.

I felt horrible praying about a missing retainer, with all those dead, so...i prayed for each person who died first, and then I'd pray for the retainer.

I prayed sincerely, "God, the very first person that died? You know their name...please comfort their family. Fill them with peace. If they need financial assistance, please provide..."

I got up to the 300s before I gave up. It was really like wee hours of the morning then. I just sort of...realized how silly it was. Like shouting into a tin can and hoping it was a phone.

How about you?

Answer 1

oh babe!
it is never silly to pray after a disaster. but the thing is when you pray like that, naming each victim, then it will take alot out of you emotionally.

i always just pray lord be with everyone who needs you right at this moment in natural disasters. it is just too horrible and emotionally to name names after a disaster.

now if there is someone you know someone close to you or a friend, then that is a time to names names...

hope this helps.

Answer 2

I was 7 or 8 I think. My Mom had a bad infection on her hand and I was terrified she would die. I prayed and prayed for her to be well since my whole life depended on her. Three days later she finally went and got some medication for it, and started to get better... but I was traumatized. What had taken God so long? Why was I left in terror for three days? Wait a minute, it was the doctor who helped, not God. Hey...

I think that was when I began to realize that human action has a lot more to do with outcomes than a deity.

Answer 3

This is a bit weird, and it's something I'm prepared to be called a hypocrite for, but I find myself "praying" in intense situations. But I don't know if it's really praying because I'm not really aiming it at anyone.

For instance, my boyfriend was hospitalized between Christmas and New Year's last year, and for the first 24 hours, he was completely out of it. They weren't sure what it was. I was an emotional wreck when I was alone, and I kept saying out loud, "Please, please let it be something simple. Please let him be OK."

I have no idea if that counts as praying, but in a way, I felt like I was appealing to something beyond me.

This is why I'm solidly agnostic. I feel like I could believe in some kind of higher power, but it's nothing I could ever put parameters on, and it's nothing that would put rules on human beings. (If that makes sense. I'm still working that all out.)

Answer 4

About a month ago. Due to the encouragement of a couple believers here in R&S, I gave it another try. I prayed for a full half-hour and never could shake the sensation of utter foolishness. I can only try to pray when my wife isn't home because, more than anything, praying makes me feel horribly embarrassed.

Edit: Please give Dodge a friendly tickle from me.

Answer 5

You know, this may or may not be it. I can't remember praying after this, so I'll roll with it. When I was ~12(??) my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and we all prayed. I'm pretty sure I was praying earnestly. Usually as a kid, before and after that both, I was just going through the motions. (We went through the motions a lot more when grandparents were visiting...)

By the way, he's still fine, although he's been getting treated lately. It's mostly been benign for 15 years...

Answer 6

The last time I prayed, I was a child. I was "playing" at praying; I really had no clue what I was doing and felt kind of silly over the whole thing.

Answer 7

Funny... I can't recall praying even when I was a believer. I never saw any results from all the prayer and just figured that God would do what it wants anyway, regardless of how heartfelt our wishes might be.

Too bad that same kind of rationality didn't awaken me to the other problems of Christianity earlier.

Answer 8

I was really young when I stopped praying. God is supposed to respond to prayers yes,no, or wait. When I thought about it I realized I could pray to my dog, a milk carton or just about anything and get the same results.

Answer 9

I have never taken prayer as sincere, although I have done it to comfort myself (silly, I know). Makes you wonder....are all those that pray simply talking back to themselves, or do they hold so tight to faith that they simply think they hear the James Earl Jones voice in their head? How many Theists would honestly answer this question?

Answer 10

Last year as I watched my mom die for a solid month after injuries from a car accident.
She was such a "God Warrior" etc. That I felt like I should.
Only after her death did I realize how messed up God and all the ideas that went along with it were.