What aspect of prayer is the beneficial one?

I can only speak from my own experience.

I think both prayer and meditation work, but to me meditation is more like receiving, and prayer more like sending.

I agree prayer does involve the humbling of oneself. I personally believe it has to do with acknowledging the existence of a higher power wherein resides all love and all truth.

No, I don't think the exclusion of an "entity" as object in prayer = meditation; I think they are definitively two different things, one having to do with an "entity". So no, I don't think prayer would be improved by that exclusion - I don't even know what I would call that.

always...IMO

Cyracuz, to me, prayer is the soul's sincerest desire. It has nothing to do with sending and receiving, Norway.

snood, good points. You are probably right in that prayer and meditation differ in more than the idea of this entity.

What I was wondering about was if prayer is a strictly religious activity. Letty answered that one for me with her simple answer.

It is the soul's sincerest desire.

But I suspect that is not the whole answer, since that would render praying an act of selfishness, wich I am sure it is not. Not always at least.

Cyracuz, honey. There are no "whole" answers to anything. We live in partiality and will, perhaps, die in partiality.

Research has shown that personal prayers do work, but that others praying for patients do not.

Prayers don't harm anybody, so if it works for some, I say "go for it!"

I believe on the personal level, prayer gives the individual some positive mental conditioning that is positive towards better health. The mind is a powerful medicine.

Re: What aspect of prayer is the beneficial one?


The act by itself without any consideration of God, is meaningless
to me. We pray to God, not to the wind ( at least I don't pray to earth, wind or fire ).

Nothing is meaningless, Miller.

Hey, C.I. How come you didn't go for my place on the Where Am I Thread.

Sorry, Norway. Just had to get that in.

Letty, Ran out of "options."

Ah, C.I. it's not like you to quit before the race has started.<smile>

Now back to the aspects of prayer.

If prayer provides comfort...pray.

I was asked about this issue this week while sitting on the Frying Pan this week. There is something I want very, very much...and the friend I was with, who knows my agnosticism very well, asked if I had considered "praying" for it.

My response was that I considered praying a form of hoping...and that I was, indeed, "hoping" for the thing.

I certainly agree with ci that prayer often brings comfort and meaning for some...and if it does, why on earth would anyone suggest that it not be done.

I do have some problems with prayers of adoration, repetitious thanksgiving, or worship…but that has been discussed in many threads, and I suspect Cyracuz was not heading in that direction with this one.

No need to apologize Letty.

I often stray from the topics of theads, being far less graceful about it than you.

And you are right Frank. What I wish to explore is the benefits of prayer, to the individual who prays.
I am not talking about answers to the prayers, but it's "meditative" aspects, in lack of a better word.

I do not consider myself a religious man even though I'm somewhat superstitious.
Yet I sometimes pray. I find it helps me focus all my energy on the matter that concerns me, creating perspectives that may be helpful. In a way it is like seeking guidance from my own mind.

Maybe it just sounds crazy. I'm lacking better words.

But is the humbleness. To admit that I am facing something greater than myself, the surrender to something I don't understand, and then seeking to trust in it regardless.

I find it helps clear away little irritations and impulses created by them.

It's very simple; if prayer works for some people, use it. It doesn't matter for what purpose, to whom, or for self-improvement of health or mind.

Boy, some really big words have been showing up in this S&R forum lately. Words like spirituality, meditation, and now prayer. All of them are exceedingly good for you, according to many here.

I don't understand the need to escape, to try all these different venues. What am I missing here?

Well, for one thing, tycoon, you're missing your jam session with guitar and baritone, although I prefer a tenor sax, myself.

Actually, I think good music is a type of prayer, and looking back, I think that is probably the only reason that I went to church all those years.

Always a shame to be missing a good jamsession.

Not to escape, as I see it. To enrichen experience and navigate this questionable reality.

Dave Brubeck can be prayer.

Used to go see Dave Brubeck when he played in San Francisco in my youth. Drove all the way from Sacramento.

Met Dave at the LSO in Daytona Beach. That episode was a tiny vignette in deception, and a prayer that went nowhere, but it was neat. <smile>

Hi Letty,

What a point to ponder, that music is a type of prayer. I've played a lot of songs around a crackling fire. The notes from the guitar seem to shoot up with the campfire sparks and for a while transcendence rules.

I call these experiences living in the moment. There is no metaphysical facet that I can detect. No spirituality, no meditation or prayer. I wouldn't want it any other way.