Who here prays?

[boomboom]

I pray all the time. I tend to make my prayers a running conversation with God.....I'm almost uncomfortable asking God for his blessing. I tend to just praise Him. Anyone relate?

[rurallib]

1. Gave up conventional prayers and deities long ago but

I usually spend some time each day contemplating any of the many complexities of life and theuniverse. Some may consider that prayer.

[napi21]

2. Yes, I pray, but mostly considerit my conversations with God.

Many times I appologize for always going to him when I have a problem, and I really should spend more time just talking to him and thanking him for all that I have.

Since this is a political site, I guess I can also say I've thanked him a lot for letting the Dems win control of the Congress, and oh so many times I ask that he intervein to stop Shrub before he destroys the entire world!

[More Than A Feeling]

3. Sorry, not I.

I used to, all the time. It was a great way of dealing with a lot of the guilt I was carrying around, for what would be considered trivial things. But two things happened: 1. I tended to believe that praying would do something, when physical action on my part would have done it better. 2. Nothing ever happened as a result of my prayer. Praying for strength did not make me feel stronger. Praying for other people's welfare didn't seem to have any effect one way or the other. So if you asked me if any being could hear the thoughts in my mind that would be considered "prayer", or words which had the same intent, I would have to answer that I have no reason to believe that was the case.

I still have hopes and wishes, but I don't consider them as having any real likelihood of coming true unless I or someone else works to make them happen. That someone else is another person, not a divine entity.

[MistressOverdone]

6. Okay, now I'm curious!

Have you become an atheist, then, or do you just feel that the deity is not responsive?

And I wonder about your moniker, Heaven and Earth.

Can you share more?

[More Than A Feeling]

7. I have become an agnostic Buddhist, because I have now determined

that what I formerly considered proofs of the existence of a god (as a separate being. I have been exploring the idea of "God as the highest ideal") in fact prove no such thing. The anthropic argument, which was the very first argument that convinced me, doesn't indicate that there is a god. Life in some other form could just as easily have arisen had the physical constants that allow life to exist as it does been different, and that idea is as equally plausible as the idea that "if the constants were different, life wouldn't exist, therefore the sheer implausibility of the constants being what they are mean that God must have wanted it that way."

So instead what I have are a variety of possible gods or versions of God (an infinite number, really) with almost no chance of worshipping the correct one. Some of those possible versions are vindictive as all get out, so if I don't worship them, and they turn out to exist, its off to hell (assuming they have a hell. Some of the vindictive types might not. They just glare angrily at you for all eternity, and drive you mad). The point is, there is no way to know which is correct. It is also possible that none of them is correct, and there is no god. So even if I were to have faith, it would be faith in my own ideas about a god, but most likely not faith in an entity that exists. Ironically, in order to avoid idolatry, faith requires knowledge. Knowledge that hasn't yet been produced.

This being the case, it is far better for me to focus my spiritual path on the natural universe, by bettering myself, and trying to do a little good for my fellow humans. However, I am still intensely interested in everyone's worldviews, and their conceptions of how gods work. Questions about the divine, whether it exists, what a person thinks its qualities are, and what to do about it, are some of the most important questions that can be asked.

As for my screenname, it reflects my interest in things both divine and profane, which I haven't lost as my ideas have changed.

[MistressOverdone]

8. Thank you so much for

the insightful and thorough answer. I can readily understand the path you have taken.

Sometimes the concept of faith seems a veritable smorgasbord. A little of this, a little of that.

Oh, heck, now I'm hungry!

[NaturalHigh]

4. I pray.

I also accept that while God hears and answers all prayers, sometimes the answer is NO.

[MistressOverdone]

5. My prayers are just conversations

and are very grounding for me. When I get into a bad situation I just say "are you with me?" and it helps so much.

Am I delusional? Not in most things, but there is a real continuum of reality, as has been discussed in another post.

There have been times at work when one of our gang or our kids (we're teachers) is in need with a very serious (life threatening) situation and a few of us will gather and hold hands and come out with a quickie prayer of intercession. We are always a bit embarrassed to do so because none of us come from a fundamentalist background, but it makes us feel we are doing somthing. And not all of us are Christian. A few are pagan, some Jewish, one Muslim. But just holding hands I think is a powerful "prayer."

[boomboom]

9. That's so cool

God promises when one or more are gathered in His name He is there. So yes, that is a powerful prayer.

[MistressOverdone]

26. The last man we prayed for

was the father of a dear friend, my teacher's aide. He is African American and very elderly, with high BP and diabetes, facing valve replacement. He made it through just fine. I like to think our intercessions somehow greased that process.

[Zebedeo]

10. I pray daily, and often multiple times a day

I pray to praise God, to thank Him for the innumerable blessings He has showered on me without my deserving them, to humbly ask Him for forgiveness for my sinful thoughts, words and actions, for protection for my loved ones, for assistance to others needing it, and for help in my own life.

God has answered my prayers in ways that were miraculous to me many, many times.

[Goblinmonger]

11. Nope

For obvious reasons. Not makin' a big deal--just chiming in.

[MistressOverdone]

27. Just wondering

back in seminary days, did you pray personally or just at Mass?

[PassingFair]

12. I would neve waste my time praying....

but I am NOT without hope.

:)

[boomboom]

14. why do you consider prayer a waste of time?

What do you place your hope in?

[PassingFair]

15. I always hope for the best.

I do NOT believe that I am magical or that
magical beings do my bidding.

[JerseygirlCT]

13. Running conversation, sure

Formal prayer is meaningful for me in a community context, as part of a service.

Otherwise, it's conversation, and awareness.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

16. Yes

I have spoken prayers and prayers on the breath. Thanksgiving and appreciation for the joys of life are also a part of this practice.

[moobu2]

17. If praying had any real effect on the REAL world,

outside the person praying, there would be some real verifiable evidence of that effect somewhere. I don’t need any evidence myself, since I grew out of religious delusion a long time ago, but there are studies showing that it has no effect whatsoever. Anyway, it’s really a little silly to see grown people discussing make believe magical superstition as if it were real.

[cyborg_jim]

18. Every prayer is totally effective

Step 1)

If prayer is answered: PRAISE GOD! How awesome of Him to rearrange the universe in order to help a lowly servant!

Step 2)

If prayer is not answered: PRAISE GOD! How awesome of Him to know better than me how the universe should go about its business!

Step 3)

Prayer's a conversation: PRAISE GOD! It's really nice chatting with Him; even if he doesn't answer me directly. I know everything that happens that I attach significance to is a reply from Him.

Step 4)

Prayer's a conversation: PRAISE GOD! He told me to send you to Hell heathen!

I think that covers all the bases.

[PassingFair]

20. Ramen!

[bryant69]

19. I suppose it must be frusterating to be surrounded by so much silliness

Bryant

[moobu2]

21. Frustrating? Hardly.

I get a great deal of amusement reading the absurd writings of the extremely religiously deluded, the more absurd, the more hypocritical, the more outrageously ignorant or hatefull, the better the laugh I get. I don’t know why I find them so hilariously entertaining, but I do. I often listen to religious talk radio (where the listeners call in), on the way to and from work as well. They’re absolutely nuts and it’s unbelievably funny. I’ve actually gotten several friends started listening to it as well, and we often laugh and talk about how ridiculous they are. So no, it doesn’t frustrate me in the least. If they ever frustrated me, I'd just turn the station on the radio, or visit another website etc...

[bryant69]

22. Laughs - so you are saying your fellow DUers who pray

are the equivelent of the extremely religious deluded?

Nice.

And people wonder why there are hard feelings between atheists and believers here on DU sometimes.

Bryant

[MistressOverdone]

30. Isn't the ignore feature a genius thing?

[MistressOverdone]

29. You know, I get you.

because I'm having a good giggle right now at the arrogance of your post. Thanks for the humor. I needed it tonight

[MistressOverdone]

28. So you are certain about that?

Wow. You have amazing powers of insight .

[Jokerman]

23. Never have, never will.

Now I know that since I can't see into the future, the "never will" part is hard to defend. If someday I pull a Homer Simpson and yell out "Jesus, Buddha, Allah I love you all" when facing inevitable death, it wouldn't be sincere.

[raccoon]

24. Yes. Every morning and at times throughout the day.

It helps me.

My belief is that my prayers don't change external events, circumstances, or people ONE IOTA. They can, and do, change me so that I can deal with these externals better. Or so it seems to me. :-)

Think I'll start another thread with this.

[Ian David]

25. In times of distress, I pray to the Great God Ohshit. n/t

[MistressOverdone]

31. I've been known to pray at the altar

of Holy Shit myself