Praying - what is it in different churches/religions?

[BrittaPerry]

What do different religions believe about praying? I'm not of any religion, but I find it interesting what people think.

I was always taught that it was kind of 'having a chat' with god, in order to open yourself to the kind of good stuff that was flowing about and to say thanks for the world.

Some people pray to a saint - what do they believe is happening there? Does the saint have powers to sort things out, or do they ask God?

When people pray 'for' something - for example for someone to get well - does the amount of people praying get more attention from God, or is it something else?

Are rituals for the benefit of the worshipper (to get them in the right frame of mind, perhaps) or for the God or other power that is being worshipped?

Im really interested in this - so many people pray, in various ways, what is their view of why they do it?

Hi Britta,

I am a Christian and my understanding of prayer is as follows;
Praying in its simplest form is having a conversation with God, it goes both ways- we talk to and listen to God and he speaks back.

In terms of praying to a saint, it's like praying with a friend, in much the same way as people may gather together to pray in a group, praying with a saint is praying with someone who we believe is with God, as people who follow Christ have eternal life, therefore saints are alive in the 'afterlife' for want of a better phrase. As a result, they can join in prayers, joining in the conversation with God, and asking on the praying persons behalf. (Not all denominations agree that you can pray with/ to saints)

Praying 'for' something: it's an element of the conversation with God, and He may or may not answer the prayers. It's not because of the amount of faith, or because enough people asked. With regards to someone getting well, it's a tricky one as its evident that not everyone will be healed through prayer. I believe that God sometimes heals through miracles and I have seen this happen, but equally he heals through modern medicine and scientific research, and sometimes the 'healing' comes through death. Christian theology teaches that in heaven there is no sickness or pain, therefore being made well doesn't always happen in this life.

Rituals: I think are for both the worshipper and for God. I think God delights in ritual as he made us sensory creatures, who respond to atmosphere, to music, to silence, to rhythms of worship. God doesn't need the ritual, as he is God, but I think he appreciates that it can help humanity to have a visual/ physical expression of worship. So yes, they are partly to get the worshipper into the right frame of mind, but are not necessary for Christian worship.

As for why I pray? For the same reason that I talk to my husband or my friends or family, because I love God and want to share with him my thoughts, feelings and frustrations, because it's a two way relationship, because I know he listens and responds, and because he speaks to me.

[disclaimer: I say 'he' in relation to God as that is a common term, not to denote God's maleness but to avoid saying 'it' or 'he/she')

Sorry, that was a long response! Hope it helps :)

Thats brilliant, thanks :-)

From my pagan perspective, I don't do "prayers" other than asking for positive wishes, the same as I would ask a friend to send positive vibes. This is because I don't believe my Gods (or any God) is omnipotent. What I do believe is that if I want something to happen I have to get off my backside and do something to make it happen.

However, I can't speak for all pagans. Some of the pagans I know do pray to their Gods, in the same way that monotheists pray to their Gods.

I don't really have a set "prayer time" apart from at church. Things will pop into my head and I will say a prayer in my head. I see it as a dialogue between God and me. Sometimes it will be "please give me patience to deal with this trying situation", sometimes "thankyou for this great bit of news" - that sort of thing. At church we lead the prayers on a rota for the family service; at the last service our prayers were for Harvest, for political and military leaders in the Middle East and Syria, that the upcoming bonfire nights would go off safely and enjoyably (we are in rural Sussex where there is a bonfire procession every night of the week in November) and for couples and families experiencing problems with conceiving/carrying babies.

I have prayed nearly every day for 3 years for one of my friends who was having a terrible time conceiving and had lots of miscarriages and troubled fertility treatment. Finally the prayers have been answered as she is 3 months pregnant :)

I don't do prayers to saints.

Hi, I'm Muslim, and Muslim have a particular way of praying that happens 5 times a day, around the world, the words and actions are identical. This was taught by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to his companions, as the Angel Gabriel taught him, under Gods orders.

It is a physical, intellectual and emotional action. For me, as well as the connection with God, this gives a connection to other Muslims, as it's quite amazing to think that someone living in Timbuctu (I think I spelt that wrong) is doing the same thing as you, 5 times a day. The actions, which include prostration, are very humbling and a reminder of ones commitment to submission to God.

The fact that they happen at set times in the day means that in all situations you are putting God before all else. I have on several occasions had to pray in a public place because the time for prayer has come, I just put my coat on the floor and get on with it. Now that's not a highly spiritual experience in some ways, but it is in that you are putting God above all else in that situation.

In addition to this we have a dialogue with God, which is similar to the Christian definition of prayer, which can be anything but often includes heartfelt thanks for ones blessings, asking for forgiveness for wrong actions, and asking for things that we need and want. There are also many phrases that we may repeat in different circumstances throughout the day, such starting in action with 'In the name of God', when something good happens saying 'all praise be to God'. We may also throughout the day, send blessings on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Prayer is always directly to God. God does not need our prayers in the slightest, He is the creator of everything and has no need of anything, but has taught us how to worship Him for our own benefit.

In a broader sense, prayer is not the only form of worship, and Muslims believe that any good action, done with the right intention, is worship. Giving in charity for example, but even just the everyday things like going to work (with the intention of providing for your family), smiling at someone in the street etc etc.

Just noticed the last question:
why I do it? Because when I made the decision to be Muslim I committed myself to follow Gods commands and it is one of them. However, I benefit in any ways from prayer, including self discipline, peace of heart of mind, as I mentioned before a connection with other Muslims but also with my family, as we pray together often (22 month old has his own prayer mat and does some of the movements though doesn't normally last the whole prayer! Prayer is not incumbent upon children of course).