Why do you pray?

Praying - Painting of folded hands.
India
April 24, 2009 6:56am CST
I have been thinking about this.Why do we really pray.Most of my friends said that they pray so that they can go to heaven/Life becomes easier/They suceed in life.Is that why we were meant to pray?If it is indeed so then isn't God something like a bully. Eg:God:Worship me or else you'll go to hell. Worship me and you'll become sucessful. Worship me lest you fail. Do we pray to God so that we'll get something in return?
3 people like this
22 responses
• United States
24 Apr 09
i dont pray, i dont beieve in any religin... If there was a god then why are we here?????? Why do we all have to suffer if he could make the world a nice place.
@Dorrdavy (275)
• Jamaica
24 Apr 09
we are here so we can choose whether to serve him and go to heaven or serve satan and go to hell. oh, and the world was a nice place until adam and eve CHOSE to disobey God.
@Dorrdavy (275)
• Jamaica
24 Apr 09
we cant blame God for our bad choices.
@eshaan (6188)
• India
24 Apr 09
I pray ...not for heaven, but to make my life here on earth better, not even i ask much but keep saying HIM that take care of my children and family and all my nearest and dearest ones....and its not that God is asking us to pray...its WE who have faith in HIM and we feel that there is someone to look after us and take care of us, so we pray HIM......He is selfless...and if we try to imitate HIM....give others whatever we can, dont expect anything, and keep doing good karmas, then there will be divinity in us also...u will automatically feel close to HIM and the path of heaven willbe clear to U.
• India
24 Apr 09
Yes.You are right.But what I wanted to say is that right now people don't get the real idea of religion.They believe that if they don't pray they'll go to hell.What you said is perfectly true.Thanks for the response and happy myLotting.
• Philippines
25 Apr 09
why do you pray? I pray to god to say thank you for helping me in everything?i pray to god for helping me in everything that im doing everyday in my life.i also pray before eating dinner,lunch and breakfast.i also pray to god by saying thank you to him.
• Philippines
25 Apr 09
I pray to ask for forgiveness, for the mistake I had done. I talked to God and ask for specific things, I ask him question what is this and that, I am asking for help. I say my thank you for his blessings. I also talked to him when making request. This is especially for my dear ones. I pray for them.
• India
25 Apr 09
As i believe that our mind set is of two parts 1. Concious mind ans subconcious mind as subconcious wil be working round the clock watever we input by concious mind subconcious positive way and to work accordingly we concentrate on particular object that is actually our subconcious mind and we asume as god and work wil happen watever we think this is what i have think and i do
@gmkk1986 (471)
• India
25 Apr 09
Pray is a process we do daily to talk with God. Its not some thing like expectation and process to ask some thing. We all need space to discuss and share about some thing with others. With prayer it has been create space to talk with god to ask the strong power to resolve the problem and feel happy in all situations.
@mimiang (3760)
• Philippines
25 Apr 09
I pray to make things bearable and help succeed
@Mitraa (3184)
• India
24 Apr 09
I think, 'Prayer' is the basic method to speak God for our requirements and specific needs of material and non-mateial world, in quite a submissive manner! Prayer has immense power that can move anyhing, if performed regularly from the deapth of heart! Thanks for this nice discussion and have a good day!
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
25 Apr 09
there are many reasons that people pray, but, I think we can divide them into 3 categories... 1. praise 2. petition 3. thanks giving.
• United States
24 Apr 09
When I pray I first give thanks for my life my health my strength, I thank God for my family, and the blessings hes has given me, I also thank him for my trails and tribulations. because of the wisdom he has given me I understand life is up and down and I ask him to give me strength to endure. When I think of God, I put him in the category of my father. My job is to obey him and do his will. and just like a parent desicplines their child God does unto his children , but you have to have a spiritual mind to understand, you have to have a spiritual relationship with God and listen to his word. he is a blessing God and a rewarding God, and if you do his will you may ask for blessings... PS a bully to me is a bad person who makes you do things out of spite and for no Good reason, God is not within that category...
@adoremay (2065)
• Philippines
25 Apr 09
I pray, to be truthful because I want something in return. I want my mother and father to have a good health, that my sister will be motivated to pursue her college degree, I pray that my bother will stop her womanizing, and I also pray for world peace and most especially i pray for a 5 bedroom house with two garage with a tennis court outside. However, I am believer of God, and I believe God is not my genie. If God will grant all my desires it would mean that I am His master and I am not. Prayer gives wonders and miracles and most important of all it changes the person. Prayer changes me to be patient and to be humble.
@Ronina (185)
• Philippines
25 Apr 09
I pray because I need guidance it is not because I pray so that I can be in heaven when I die. I pray to God to worship and give thanks to Him for all the great things He has given me. For example, I have to thank Him for giving me breath of life, food to eat, water to drink and a lot more.
• Philippines
25 Apr 09
I pray because it is my personal communication with my God. It is how I thanks Him for the blessings i received day by day. And of course, my means also on requesting not just materially but on other aspect of life... AMEN!
• Malta
24 Apr 09
Praying is a way of soothing my spirit. I mean when I am sad and don't have anywhere to turn, I turn to prayer. My God said 'Ask and you shall receive', so yes sometimes I pray to God for something I want. I also pray for patience and for the power to face problems. Prayer is present in all religions (at least those that I know of) and it helps our human minds hope that we are not alone. I don't think we are.
@chemac08 (29)
• Philippines
25 Apr 09
for asking forgiveness,to became successful,
@caver1 (1762)
• United States
24 Apr 09
Prayer shouldn't be just asking God to make our lives better or to get into heaven. God has given us prayer so we can communicate with Him. He talks to us through His word, the Bible and in return we talk to God in prayer. Our prayers should include praise, thankfulness for all He has done, and asking for help for ourselves and others. Each of us is created with a need to have a relationship with God. Many ignore that need and try to fill it with other things. But to be truly happy and content with this life we need that relationship with God. Prayer is part of that relationship.
@Dorrdavy (275)
• Jamaica
24 Apr 09
i pray for several reasons. i pray when i am about to make decisions, when i need someone to talk to and there is no human around, itell God things i want no one else to hear, when i have needs, when i want to feel a connection with God, i pray about other peoples needs; i pray about every. so its not just when i want things.
@stanlee81 (381)
• China
24 Apr 09
Yeah,if you have and blieve what you have belived,and that is religion.Different people coming from different corners with different points of view.Acutally speaking the Mighty is yourself,the God is in one's own mind,the lord just inside our hearts.When you belive what you have belived,and it's true and simple.However,when you think about too much other's thinking and actions,and you are not a prious bliever of your "GOD"....
• Philippines
24 Apr 09
I pray in the morning to thank him for a peaceful night and sleep me and my family had. I also pray at night to thank him for the day that passed may it be happy or a sad day. I thank him for guiding me and my family through the day and that i hope he would still continue to guide us through the night. I also pray to thank him for all the blessings that he has bestowed upon me and my family.
@nivinag (32)
• India
24 Apr 09
I'll pray for me /family. I had a japanese collegue in previous office. He said the japanese pray before they took food, as they are very few resources. happy Mylotting...
• United States
24 Apr 09
I pray to keep my life in balance and I can handle the stresses I find here on earth. To me its like a meditation that forces me to focus on the postive and the important things in my life. When I feel like no one listens or there is no one to talk to I think of god as a friend that is always there to listen and not to judge me. He knows what i am thinking and aware of everything I do, so what better person than him to help me direct my actions. Physically it keeps me from tension headaches and illness caused by unecessary stress. God does not intimidate me, he is my friend and he wants what is best for me. I look at him as someone that helps me along.