So how does this 'pray for' thing work then

[Twiglett]

is it that the more prayers that are 'offered up' the more its likely it'll be answered (like an auction)

or is it that you feel comfort knowing others are thinking of you and your issues

genuine interest not trolling

I always thought it was the 'feeling comfort from people wishing you well' thing
but I am an agnostic so I know nothing...apparently

It's a bit like an expression of care and concern with an added extra, if you like.

For those that have a belief in a deity, and I speak from a Christian perspective, the understanding is that God takes all those prayers and kind of weaves them into His eternal plan. The 'answering prayer' is a bit different to a straightfoward yes/no, it can often be 'wait' or 'no, but I have something better planned'.

That's the idea, anyway. So, mostly more like the second idea than the first.

I'm pagan, so it is sending strengthening energy your way so you can deal with things more. The more people chucking strength your way, the more you can handle

its nice to know that people are thinking of me despite what i may or may not believe

As a Christian I believe that God cares about us to such an extent that all the hairs on our head are counted. I also believe that because we don't live in a perfect world bad things happen to good people. When all is going smoothly we can usually manage our own relationship with God, but sometimes, when things get very tough we just can't manage to pray. That is where it comes in handy if you have a friend (or many friends) who will say:-"Hey God, I have this friend and she is going through a bit of a rough time, is there anything you can do about it?" And God, being Who He is will always be able to 'do something' about it. Not always in the way you think, sometimes it will only be the fact that your friend has been thinking about you and that is a comfort, but prayer always achieves something... and something good. Hope that helps.

I'd go along with the 'sending strength your way' thing. I never used to get what finding 'comfort' in your faith meant until i realised that it wasn't really 'comfort' in the sense of squashy, soft cushions and cuddly things but 'comfort' in the 'to make strong' sense. iyswim.