What do you get out of prayer?

[hrmjustin]

Interfaith post.

Do you think your prayers can lead to divine intervention. Do you think prayers get answered? What do you pray for?

I ask this because I read the Ebola and Christian prayer thread in the religion room and since I am not posting in that room I would like to know what those of you who pray like I do get out of it.

[Union Scribe]

1. An increased peace with that which I cannot control

It's a way for me to enact my philosophy of doing what you can and hoping to God for the rest; a way of letting go of worry about things that are out of my hands.

It's also an opportunity to reflect on positive things, things to be grateful for. Such a focus cultivates better thought patterns in the brain and yields an extensive crop of benefits.

How prayer ties in to God's behavior is unclear to me. I thank God for blessings, but would they have been bestowed had I not prayed? I don't know. I think many people, including many non-religious people, think of prayer as a way to coerce God into doing things and that prayer is only meaningful if such efforts work to change how things unfold. I don't agree with that. When I pray, I know that God doesn't need my advice or even my bringing something to the divine's attention. There may very well be a part of the timeless will of God that has incorporated a role for our supplications--maybe before we even make them, knowing that we will. In that way, perhaps future outcomes don't need to change (and special intervention isn't necessary) because those outcomes never existed in a way that was not already affected by the interaction between the one(s) praying and the one prayed to.

[okasha]

3. You see the God-as-vending machine notion a lot in the Religion group.

[Union Scribe]

5. Yeah, I bet.

There was a time when I'd debate with someone holding that idea of prayer, but I realized after awhile that people either hold that view because they see it as some argument against God they can use or they got really hurt at some point when a prayer wasn't answered as they wish ('I prayed for Grandma to get better but she died') and neither are really open to seeing it differently.

[okasha]

6. Or they just didn't get the bicycle.

[AtheistCrusader]

9. Some of us have spent a great deal of time and effort on evaluating this subject.

That the idea has been firmly dismissed by some people, is not an indicator that the road to arriving at that conclusion was short, or as petty as you just suggested.

[goldent]

7. There's a lot of funny notions over there.

It made me think of two words: misinformation and disinformation. I found out there is a difference.

Disinformation is intentionally false or inaccurate information that is spread deliberately. It is an act of deception and false statements to convince someone of untruth. Disinformation should not be confused with misinformation, information that is unintentionally false.

I think we mainly see misinformation - people just don't know any better. They read something on the internet that resonates with them, and they repeat it. Not that disinformation isn't present sometimes also.

[No Vested Interest]

11. What you call misinformation I call ignorance of the subject.

You are kinder than I in that respect.
Many - and I'm not speaking of those in the Religion group per se - have a lack of information on the subject they chose to elaborate on.
Although many here have far greater knowledge of many faiths than I, and I am edified and educated by that which is shared- I choose to not take the time and effort to correct or educate those who reveal the lack in the field of religion.
To me that would be as fruitful as going into a RW site and trying to educate there.
I have neither the time nor stomach for it.

[hrmjustin]

14. I offer up people in prayer that need it and pray that God will be with them in their need.

It works for me.

[okasha]

2. Peace, clarified thought and the occasional miracle.

My clan (Panther) tends to produce healers and herbalists, so a fair proportion of my prayer time is given over to the subject.

[hrmjustin]

15. Sounds about the same for me.

I just try to offer up as many as i can when i pray.

[AtheistCrusader]

4. I tried prayer when I was younger.

I realized that I wasn't hearing anything back that I could identify, and the outcome of whatever I was praying for, was impossible to determine if the prayer had any effect at all.

So I stopped right about the time I had tested it.

While I was testing, the only thing I thought it might have impacted was, my confidence level. So I just resolved to be confident in my abilities, and never looked back.

[goldent]

8. Most of my prayer is just conversation with God

I also thank God a lot. I pray for general things, but rarely specific things. I can't say if my prayers get answered because when they seemingly were answered, it is impossible to prove.

I think people who don't pray do similar things but in a non-religious way. Whatever floats your boat!

[hrmjustin]

16. Agreed! i think our who lives are a prayer.

[JayhawkSD]

10. Prayer is for the benefit of the person who prays.

My favorite story about prayer is an anecdote attributed to Mother Theresa.

She was asked by a reporter, "How often do you pray?"
She answered, "I always pray. I'm never not praying."
He asked, "What do you say when you are praying?"
She replied, "I don't say anything when I pray. I just listen."
He asked, "Well, then what does God say when you pray?"
She replied, "He doesn't say anything either. He just listens too."
He just looked at her, baffled.
She smiled gently, and said, "If I have to explain that to you you wll not understand the explanation."

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

12. I'm reminded of Louis Armstrong's response

To the question, "What is jazz?" He answered something along the lines of, "If I have to explain it to you, you just don't get it."

[hrmjustin]

17. Thank you for sharing this.

[Union Scribe]

19. That's a great exchange :) nt

[rug]

13. I don't seek to get anything out of it.

If there is a God who is loving, I just try to get closer, to attempt understanding. His existence does not depend on the day's temperature.

[hrmjustin]

18. Yes i think God is a constant presence and will be there no matter what the circumstances.