Do you say prayers?

Prayer is a very important part of my life. I'm a Christian and have a relationship with God so why wouldn't I talk to him. I am a member of a very busy church with very few rules apart from showing love and support for each other.

While I no longer attend a church (was brought up Anglican and converted to RC after marriage), my faith is stronger than it ever was. I pray nearly every day. I speak directly from the heart and use few recited prayers. These are directed primarily at world situations and, secondly, at problems of people I know. For myself, I ask for greater courage, patience and to love better.

I feel that while Life is hard enough for those of us who believe and whereby find both comfort and strength, it has to be more difficult and lonely for those without spiritual support.

My personal proof that prayer has power lies in the fact that at least five of my impossible prayers over the years - those where I said "I know I'm asking too much but..." have been realised. On one occasion I actually gasped out loud when something I had prayed to happen did so in front of my eyes.

I have read the six preceding pages to this one and most comments made me feel very sad.

I go to a Presbyterian church. I can’t handle the ritualistic stuff and the church I go to doesn’t have any and the pastor doesn’t wear weird robes, just ordinary clothes. We are all different and we are all God’s children.

I pray to a Great Spirit, not sure if he is The God. What about all the other religions in the world? Do they believe they are the chosen ones? Who knows the truth? I did go for a while to an Anglican Church and found it all rather evangelical. I was supposed to be the fallen one and sinner and they had found what meant something to them and carried out ministry etc. It was all rather creepy. It was a shame that their ministry was conditional upon you fulfilling a set of beliefs and actions. They seemed programmed to me.

As an agnostic, when I am in pain I have been known to say: "Come on God, you can do better than this!" ... or similar more colourful words! Does this qualify as a prayer?

Like you Lovetopaint prayer brings me comfort. I also believe that God has helped to strengthen and guide me through some extremely difficult and stressful times in my life.

I don't know how I'd have coped without my faith.

I pray to God and have found this to be a comfort and know He is listening and has certainly helped me in so many ways.

Prayer is an important part of my life.

Deedaa

If I have a crisis with the cats I pray to St Francis. He's usually pretty reliable

Terrific. Glad that St Francis is coming good for you. Seriously.

I pray from time to time for the souls of some dear departed , mind you probably more appropriate that they pray for mine.

Yes I pray when I say I will, I believe in the power of prayer

I pray but I am slack about it so sometimes I pray for forgiveness for not remembering my Saviour. Prayers do work, my word they do. Before I believed this seemed like imagination but now I know it is not.

As a non-believer I don't pray. I understand that it is comforting to know that other people are thinking about you in difficult times, but I can't understand how praying can possibly alter a future state. Does it depend on how many people are praying for an action: the more people praying, the more likely it is that this all powerful 'god' will intervene?

No I don't pray but I sometimes ask the Universe for kindness.

Greyduster I echo your words. I hear people say that we all have a guardian angel. I think 'Mine left the country on the day I was born and never returned.'

When we were told my sister (who was in her 20s) was not going to recover from her cancer my parents got quite distressed when anyone said they would pray for my sister. My dad had always been an atheist and had no time for religion and my mother lost all her faith when we found out how poorly my waiter was. So no I would never offer to pray for anyone, if they asked me to pray for them I would say yes and do so.

The last time I prayed, I think God was on holiday.

I was brought up in a family where church was a very occasional thing. I went to a Cof E school with regular prayers and RE lessons. I must have taken something on board. There have been 2 times in my life when I found myself praying almost without realising. These were times when there was nothing else you could do. Since then I have prayed at bedtime fairly regularly especially during the last year when my DH has been so ill.

I pray every night, but only for others. If I say I will pray for someone I do but I also pray for many who don’t know I exist.

I often pray, in my own way, despite not being religious at all.

I pray every night always have and very often in the day, just short ones in my head. I was taught never ever pray for money or worldly goods.

I pray every night, between my god and me.

Yes I think I do say prayers. To myself only though .

aggie

Yes I pray , and if I say I’ll pray for someone I will

Exactly so. I never pray for myself as I've always thought of asking for stuff as just another example of human selfishness. But I will speak to God about other people - I still don't ask for anything, I just suggest he might look at them and give them some ease. Whether he does or not is debatable, but that's his business, not mine!

Do I say prayers? No I don’t, but interesting how many people do. Each to his or her own.

Father we thank Thee for the night
And for the previous morning light etc etc
So too in the night:-
This night when I lie down to go to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep etc etc