why do we pray

[Saint Frankenstein]

For guidance, meditation, to ask question, to seek favors, to discover your Will, to discover the deity or Daimon's Will, gratitude, etc.

 

[Sha'irullah]

I will say it once and I will say it again. Prayer is just useless begging and petitioning of a god to aid mankind when he shows no interest. Prayer is by far the most useless activity ever and the only reason I can think of why people do it is because they are lonely, desperate or want to remove their own guilt.

I have only prayed when lonely or desperate and that was when I was a wee lad. Ever since I was a child I never believed in prayer and disliked seeing it in churches and seeing people pray as if it helped. I associate this primarily with Christians who not only pray but please and beg instead of actually helping.

As human beings the only reason I think we even pray is because of the fact that we are social creatures and treat everything in such a manner. We believe we can communicate to the world somehow. It is of course all in vain.

 

[sojourner]

I have not completely abandoned the idea of prayer though. Just prayer involving asking for things in return. Since I don't believe deity intervenes on anyone's behalf, I sometimes do pray, but it is in thanks for that which I have already received, and not to ask for things. Being a deist, though, I'm not sure deity even hears my prayers, or if it even cares that I do.

Prayer certainly isn't a "Christmas list," although I do believe one can ask for spiritual help. I think what that does is to bring one's awareness and energies into congruence with the cosmos.

 

[sojourner]

I will say it once and I will say it again. Prayer is just useless begging and petitioning of a god to aid mankind when he shows no interest. Prayer is by far the most useless activity ever and the only reason I can think of why people do it is because they are lonely, desperate or want to remove their own guilt.

I have only prayed when lonely or desperate and that was when I was a wee lad. Ever since I was a child I never believed in prayer and disliked seeing it in churches and seeing people pray as if it helped. I associate this primarily with Christians who not only pray but please and beg instead of actually helping.

As human beings the only reason I think we even pray is because of the fact that we are social creatures and treat everything in such a manner. We believe we can communicate to the world somehow. It is of course all in vain.

You have your observation and experience; I have mine. I'm attesting to my own, without attempting to make a universal statement. If prayer doesn't work for you, that's your circus and your monkeys -- not mine. It has -- and does -- work for me.

 

[viole]

I have came across a reply saying that why would God want us to pray and praise Him? It seemed like stating that if God exists, He doesn't need us.

Not necessarily. It could bore Him to death, so to speak. It is like going through several millions of voice messages in your answering machine. Every day. On more or less the same subjects. No surprise He sent a flood. Everyone needs a break, lol.

I agree with that 100 percent. Allah doesn't need us. But we need Him.

With "we" I guess you mean "you".

Speaking about psychology, people always tend to follow people they praise.. They have aspirational people who they talk good about. They view them very successful and talk good about them all the time. Sometimes it goes over the limits and tend to do every single thing that person does. They try to follow their footsteps.

Only not role models need a role model.

As I see it, that is why we worship Allah. It is for our benefit for we are more likely to follow the commandments when we do that. Allah doesn't only give us commendments. He also gives us a way to do so.

Necesarily. If He Has such a Ego that at least one of His commandments requires worship.

I see prayers and praising important because they help us in following the commandments that Allah gave us rather than following the "evil" desires.

so, the day you realize that murmuring in the vacuum will not sort any effect, is the day you will start to indulge in the instantiation of evil desires?

If that is the case, I suggest you keep believing (and murmuring in the vacuum). Please.

Ciao

- viole