Do You Pray?

[David In Indy]

Do you pray? If so, what do you pray for? If not, is it because you don't believe in God? Or for other reasons?

I pray. Not on my knees, or anything like that. But I pray mentally, while I'm working, watching TV, etc. Very informal prayer. It's in my mind. But I think about God, and I have a litany of prayers I say privately and informally each day. I've found my faith dwindling severely these past few years. In my youth I had a profound faith in God. But not so much anymore. But I continue to pray. I don't mean this to sound corny, but I just pray for humanity in general.

It's hard to have faith and believe in anything greater than ourselves these days, isn't it? With the state of the world the way it is right now. How could a loving God allow it? But I find myself praying anyhow. And a part of me will NOT allow my faith to die. And maybe this stubbornness with my faith comes from God? Or perhaps it's fear? Or force of habit?

Do you pray? Do you believe in an intelligence greater than ourselves? If so, do you pray to it, or Him... or Her? 

[Shasta542]

Yes, I do.

All the time about all different things.

I believe God lets man have free choice -- and sometimes man messes things up. (Man = All People not just males) That's why the world, in some cases, is messed up. Bad choices, lack of kindness and compassion, poor judgment, etc. It has been that way since the beginning of time.

[optom3]

Yes but not in the traditional sense.I  firmly believe in what goes round comes round, and I also believe there are more things that we don't understand.
I pray to whatever higher power is out there but in the sense I just sort of have a chat with whoever this person/thing is. It makes some sort of scientific sense to me that if everything in the world is boiled down to protons,neutrons and electrons,then there must be a corresponding energy field,for want of a better way of putting it.
I regard bad things as negative energy which then atracts neg. energy back,like wise with positive or good things.That is why no matter how bad things get, at some point I will try to find the positive.The simple rules of physics seem to apply,pos atracts pos and vice versa.I consider bad actions to be neg. and therefore at some stage neg must come back to keep the whole equation balanced long term. Like wise with the pos. SO we are always heading towards a position of neutrality.With all things eventually in a state of balance.That neutrality may not be instant, but it is a state we move towards continually and is reached at some point,so we have a state of equilibrium,even if it is short term and we then start the whole thing again.
It almost is a state of symbiosis.

[Brokeback_Dev]

Yes I pray most days. I know theres something bigger and greater than myself thats running things.  I'm neither agnostic or Atheist  I call it God, but I couldn't tell you what it looks like.  God is not someone on a cross.  My daughter is gay, tranny, living with another woman.  Which is fine by me.  The other day a friend of many years called me to say hello.  Our kids grew up together.  Our kids went to church together.  I made no apologies, but I did say church wasn't for me mainly because of their conservative views on homosexuality among other thngs.  She said what my daughter is doing is a sin!  just like gossiping, or having premarital sex.  That word sin didn't sit right with me you know.  I accept and love my daughter just the way she is.   I pray simple prayers no specifics.  I pray for myself and other friends and my family.   It keeps me centered.   So yes I do pray.

[optom3]

I know what you mean by conservatives and churches. I was raised Roman Catholic. The Catholic church can be pure hell for a gay person. I'll probably never walk in one again unless it's for a funeral or perhaps a wedding. Dad still likes to go to Mass sometimes, and I have gone once or twice with him. Anyway, there are some liberal churches out there. The United Church of Christ is quite tolerant of gays. I think it varies from church to church, but some of my friends attend the UCC and they feel very welcomed and accepted there. Also, I think the Unitarian church welcomes gay people. So, if I ever did decide to attend church again, and I highly doubt I will, I would probably go to one of those churches.

 

Believe me Catholic churches are hell for a straight woman.Seems everything I do is a sin, according to their doctrine.There would not be enough penance I could do to atone for all my sins,so Catholicism and I parted many years ago.The final straw being when they would not let me remarry in church, because I was divorced.I got divorced because my 1st husband came out.The only way round it was for him to be cross examined by the church hierarchy and then go for an annulment.Well that was not happening,I thought he had put up with enough,including his mother disowning him.
So it was 2 fingers to the Catholics and I have not been back.In fact have no intention of ever.

[Katie77]

Yes, I pray.......

I find that I pray when I am in distress, or I see something or someone else distressing and I pray to god to help me or them.

And then, if things turn out good or better, I pray a "thank you".

It may not be the orthodox way that prayer should be used, maybe even a selfish way of using prayer, but it works for me, and I find that after I have prayed I do feel confident and more a at peace with whatever I have prayed for.

I remember the day of Heath's funeral, knowing that it was being celebrated on a beach, I also went to the beach, and walked into the water, and just looked out at the ocean, and said my own message and prayer for him. It made me feel a little at peace with what had happened.

I dont pray in church, I dont go to church, when I pray, I usually just close my eyes where I am, or sometimes just look at the sky or something beautiful, and "think" the prayer, or say it quietly to myself.

[delalluvia]

I'm a polytheistic reconstructionist.  Yes, I pray.

I give thanks a lot.

I rarely pray to ask for something.  You might get it.    

I'm not one of these people who need a personal god at their beck and call. I feel that to ask for Divine Guidance to find a good couch at a good price or a new lover or to make good grades is like asking for an army to kill a bacterium in one termite mound in Africa.

Does one really need Divine help for everyday matters?

[MountainMan]

yes, for loved ones......sometimes for a little help, etc.

not sure to who or what, really. My upbringing (Catholic - but not Conservative, Zealot type) has certainly shaped my perceptions of things, so I do pray "to" God........but if I'm forced to think about it - which I try not to these days - it's all much deeper than that, and of course I am wise enough to analyze judeo-christian beliefs from a historical perspective, along with all things patriarchal.......


...I believe in everything and nothing at the same time.

 

[Kerry]

I recite formal prayers every day, morning and night.

I was once a good Roman Catholic boy, but I no longer hold any Christian beliefs.

I have my own personal beliefs now. There are others who share my beliefs, but we're in the minority these days. Once upon a time, though, my beliefs were held by countless generations of people over many thousands of years. By far longer than Christianity has been in existence. 

To generalise, my prayers mainly centre around the theme of giving thanks.

Every day of my life, morning and night, I verbalise a formal declaration of thanks for all my blessings.

I have little daily rituals too. For instance, the first words I say out loud every day, as I first place my feet on the ground every morning, are "I give thanks for this day of life." And every evening when I get home from work, I perform a little ritual before my household altar, part of which involves lighting a candle. The symbolism being that I am dispelling the darkness of the night with the light of my candle.

I view myself as being a spiritual entity. My spirituality is an integral aspect of who I am. I firmly believe in the continuation of life after death. I see death as a beginning, not an end. Just as birth is a beginning, so too is death.

I'm very fond of the quote, "After your death, you become what you were before you were born."

I'm probably making myself sound like an absolute nutter, hunh? (Don't answer that haha!)       

   

[southendmd]

Nutter?  No way.  Thanks for sharing that, Kerry.  It's beautiful.

As a once-good Catholic boy myself, I find it easy to become cynical about religion. 

I find your spirituality very refreshing.