Why do you pray?

[taifoon]

My intention is pure scientific. I want to learn about the difference between how a beleiving muslim, christian, druze, jew, buddihst etc perceive the notion of GOD and the relationship created between that perception and the act of both praying and praising the glory of that GOD.. Even atheists or agnostics are welcome to debate (if not should :)

I have learned from few of my feverish childhoods journeys that many (worried mamas, grandmamas etc..) usually pray for either wanting (good) things to happen or (bad things) to not happen.
Others (priests,nuns..) pray mostly for the sake of 'remembering' and mainly aknowledging the existence of that glorious might we call GOD, merely for the sake of 'being aware of its existence and glory'.

I intentionally do not use: What is God for you? but rather a set of questions as follows:
- Why do you think your priests (among other duties) want to praise the existence of GOD? What purpose does the act of praising something so evident serve?
- If you see your prayers as religious spells to control your fears, what are those fears? Are they any different from others, including non GOD-beleivers?
If christians, muslims, druzes, jews or budhists prayers address same human fears by asking same divine might to interfere, why not have a universal joint religious prayer as first step towards unifying religions? (ehmm.. at least in our country ;)

- Why do you beleive there exists some devine higher might that you think you can influence through prayers into taking actions within human domains?

- Are prayers the ultimate human way to formulate your sense of infriority before the might of lifes riddle or are they means proven to have influence on both your actions and behaviours (positiv expectations) as well as other unknown dynamics around you?

- Could the act of only relying on prayers, diminish the chances of other initiatives you could take and which could be more successfull in achieving what you want?

Very taboo a subject, i admit, therefore to ease the tension i finally asked GOD (with Admins permissions :) to stop at this forum next sunday for a Q/A session. Every forum member has only one question to ask it.
I start: Where did i loose my golden chain with a religious symbol that i once got from my mother?

[drmaalouf]

I pray to be in communion with my heavenly Father. Neither fear, neither benefits, neither obligation..nothing. God already knows everything, he knows what I want without the need of praying. It's like with our parents. At home, you love to talk with your parents, discuss how the day went, etc... It's the spirit of the family. Same thing with God. I pray to be in a constant relationship with him, to try and understand his plan for my life, to praise him because he is VERY worthy of praising. Just my 2cents on this matter :)

[taifoon]

Originally Posted by drmaalouf

I pray to be in communion with my heavenly Father. Neither fear, neither benefits, neither obligation..nothing. God already knows everything, he knows what I want without the need of praying. It's like with our parents. At home, you love to talk with your parents, discuss how the day went, etc... It's the spirit of the family. Same thing with God. I pray to be in a constant relationship with him, to try and understand his plan for my life, to praise him because he is VERY worthy of praising. Just my 2cents on this matter :)

Good answer, doc, but still: The analogy to our family/parents relationship slightly fails in the context i am asking to discuss the issue within.

Since i never dare to ask the straight question: What are your prayers when having the communion session with your heavenly father?, i will have to assume they are not so different from mine or others, in the sense of being repeated religious phrases painting onto our inner mind a certain picture of an unknown allmighty existens, learnt and reherced since we were children and where we in fact only admit and readmit the glory of this our 'heavenly father' or his undisputable uncomprehencibilty.. Usually a one way communication issue, where one set up the notion of our own existence as being so overwhelmingly unconceivable matter to dare explain, and get satisfied by only contemplating it while trying to draw own subjective daily reflections relating only to ones own status of living..
Anyway fair enough i say, and hence my question :)

[sanfoura]

I think it is slightly more than something merely inherited. There is a psychological human desire to believe in something spiritual; whether through a mainstream religion or sects. God gains no credit when praised by religious clerics; rather on the contrary it is a human need to believe in the existence of a supernatural power, which in many cases they feel as though tangible.

[Spawn Of Cthullu]

Could have been an interesting thread if there was no belittling of thiest beliefs in the last paragraph ( ie : Q&A session with the almighty on lfpm.org ). Besides, not all buddhist sects acknowledge deities.

"At times the dark's fading slowly
But it never sustains
Would someone watch over me
In my time of need" ~ Opeth

Although i am very well aware that there's theists whose relation with their creator transcends remembering him/her/it only "in their time of need", but that's mostly how things go when it comes to prayers. Even worse when they become mantras repeated in an hypnosis-like trance, stripped of any meaning theyre supposed to have.

[Stella]

Originally Posted by taifoon

...I start: Where did i loose my golden chain with a religious symbol that i once got from my mother?

My mom never gave me a chain like that, we are protestant Kalvinists.

But I got your Q. My answer is: I lost it somewhere between Makarenko and The Bates! And then I found it again, but in a completely other form and substance! I remember that magical moment, it was dedicated to the ONE.

Q: Can you stand alone before your God, look into Gods eyes, and see the depth of your own soul?

[drmaalouf]

Originally Posted by Stella23

My mom never gave me a chain like that, we are protestant Kalvinists.

I have very high respect for the Calvinist philosophy, it actually deserves a thread on its own: are we chosen or free? or both?! But i am drifting from the topic of this thread.

Originally Posted by taifoon

Since i never dare to ask the straight question: What are your prayers when having the communion session with your heavenly father?, i will have to assume they are not so different from mine or others, in the sense of being repeated religious phrases painting onto our inner mind a certain picture of an unknown allmighty existens, learnt and reherced since we were children and where we in fact only admit and readmit the glory of this our 'heavenly father' or his undisputable uncomprehencibilty..

Actually I was an atheist/agnostic for most part of my teens/early adulthood, so i didn't actually pray. And as for now, no my prayers are not repetition. I don't simply recite a premade prayer. I ''talk'' with God with my own words, whatever my heart leads me to.

Originally Posted by taifoon

Usually a one way communication issue, where one set up the notion of our own existence as being so overwhelmingly unconceivable matter to dare explain, and get satisfied by only contemplating it while trying to draw own subjective daily reflections relating only to ones own status of living..

You sure know how to make things sound complicated. You have a very philosophical approach which is interesting. But for me, it is actually simple: I came to believe in the REAL existence of God, thus praying is simply talking to him. Plain and simple :).

[taifoon]

Originally Posted by Spawn Of Cthullu

Could have been an interesting thread if there was no belittling of thiest beliefs in the last paragraph ( ie : Q&A session with the almighty on lfpm.org ). ...

Agree, and if i was able to make things undone i would have refrained from that last invitation offer..
In any way, my intention was never to belittle theists beleifs (who would dare risking to be flayed alive for a simple topic) or to be sarcastic about that ultimate question many of us would love to ask and get answered by the ONE AND ONLY, if we had the chance.. (perhaps it was more of an indirect attempt to list out what concerns different people value the most)

[Stella]

Originally Posted by taifoon

Agree, and if i was able to make things undone i would have refrained from that last invititaion offer..
In any way, my intention was never to belittle theists beleifs (who would dare risking to be flayed alive for a simple topic) or to be sarcastic about that ultimate question many of us would love to ask and get answered by the ONE AND ONLY, if we had the chance.. (perhaps it was more of an indirect attempt to list out what concerns different people value the most)

lol taifoon, just bc Spawn didnt like it you dont need to refrain from it!

I liked the idea by the way, but as you wish.

Beside we know the answer, all of us do.

[taifoon]

Originally Posted by Stella23

My mom never gave me a chain like that, we are protestant Kalvinists.

She surely taught you how to pray:

"WHAT PRAYER IS.Who will pray must know and understand that prayer is an earnest and familiar talking with God, to whom we declare our miseries, whose support and help we implore and desire in our adversities, and whom we laud and praise for our benefits received. So that prayer contains the exposition of our dolours [sorrows], the desire of God's defence, and the praising of his magnificent name, as the psalms of David clearly do teach. "

Extracted from: Selected Writings of John Knox: Public Epistles, Treatises, and Expositions to the Year 1559

But I got your Q. My answer is: I lost it somewhere between Makarenko and The Bates! And then I found it again, but in a completely other form and substance! I remember that magical moment, it was dedicated to the ONE.

Stella, your riddle is obviousely for me a thougher nut to brake than mine for you do you mean this:

" By taking advantage of the n<SUP>4</SUP> scaling factor, the quadratic Zeeman effect was measured for low magnetic fields in Rydberg states with principal quantum numbers n>100. The observed l-mixing is found to be in agreement with theoretical predictions."

Q: Can you stand alone before your God, look into Gods eyes, and see the depth of your own soul?

I can. But not alone.. I would need someone to hold my hand and give me strength to set myself into such a free fall down that abyss..