Do you say prayers?

A lifetime of church going has meant that prayer is part of my every day but in a Don Camilo sort of way - I talk to God when worried or working something out and I usually get an answer, though not necessarily the one I was hoping for. Certainly when DH was dying I was acutely conscious of not being alone, a feeling which dissipated after his peaceful death. No, I can’t explain it.

I'm not religious in the accepted sense of the word, and in fact I have some antipathy towards organised religion.
I do feel, however, that there is some greater power, and I often have a word - which I suppose is a form of prayer.
When my small grandson underwent neuro-surgery twice in the last six months, I was very grateful for the friends who said they would pray for him, and I was certainly 'having more words' than usual!
I am also extremely grateful to all concerned, whether spiritual or surgical, for the little chap's ongoing recovery.

No, I do not pray to any imaginary beings, but also I don't belittle anyone who does.
I think we all have emotional crutches of one sort or another.

I never send prayers to anybody, I prefer to show my condolences in other ways. I do not have a religious bone in my body but love old churches purely for the architectural value. On the rare occasions that I would attend a religious ceremony e.g. a funeral I do not join in the prayers.

I don't believe in religion as I can't justify a god who lets so many people suffer terrible illnesses, including children and babies. Also, all the natural disasters, wars and the Holocaust.

I always associate 'praying' with religion. I am not religious, but I am spiritual. My 'praying' is a different type of communication, but I guess you could loosely say I am 'talking with the Universe'.

I do but I'm a bit of an unconventional Christian, I was bought up with no faith at all but got interested age 29 and was christened to the Catholic faith. I'm very modern, I like all the things the Victorian Christianity did not approve of & there are plenty of modern people around.
Anyway I do pray and have had many prayers answered and situations I'm sure dictated to my benefit by some divine hand but praying is not like Father Christmas, you can pray for something and nothing happens & I don't know why. I guess its just not in his/her great plan.

Yes, I pray every day. I always include friends and family who are experiencing health problems. I realise that not many people do this these days, but I am grateful for those who do.

I am ashamed to say that I only pray when someone I love is ill. But I do believe in the afterlife so perhaps I should do what I did when I was a child back in the 1940's, say a prayer each night before going to sleep thanking god for the wonderful childhood and married life I had. Yes, my husband of 50 years died a few years ago but until that happened we had a wonderful life and now I am nearly82, I am fit and well with only minor medical conditions, I have a comfortable life and a lovely home.

So thank you for the post, it has really made me think and from now on, I will say a prayer each night before going to sleep.

Yes I prayer and God has been near on many occasions.

Yes I pray every night and any time I’m in our church. I am Anglican so pray to Christ not the Virgin . I know that I have been listened to in the past and when my son died someone wonderful came into the hospital room to take him. Whether that was Christ or an angel I don’t know

To go on from my last post, I was staying at her cottage the night before she died. I went into the garden very upset, looked at the sky and said “God, please don’t let her suffer anymore, she does not deserve it”. She died the next day which she may have done anyway but I like to think my prayer was answered.

Before my mum died age 97, I could hear her praying out loud. I thought originally that she was talking to herself. She had a bit to say about each member of the family but what made me smile was when she asked God to help J* stop smoking!

I pray. Prayers work. 🙏

I have always considered prayer to be a relationship with God who gives and keeps on giving. If this relationship is separated from church and religion and wars and disasters (as in why does He allow this etc) it becomes more meaningful to the individual. We are born as individuals, live as individuals... our relationship with our God must therefore be individual. And I try not to judge other individuals whose relationship is their business only...

Me too. And the list is getting longer and longer. Not kneeling by the bedside though. Usually after lights out and ready for sleep. A little prayer of thanksgiving and prayers for those in need.

Yes still pray I don't feel the need to kneel at the side of the bed however not sure id get back up! But yes I do and like some others sometimes have a quiet word during the day.

I do pray but I don't know who to. I was brought up as a Catholic and suffered from constant guilt as a result. Then I got involved with a group of evangelical Christians who constantly talked about sin and hell. It put me off organised religion.

Agreeing with Moggycuddler and Sarnia. I worked in Children's Hospice and the cruelty of one family whose child recovered going around saying "Thank you Jesus! You've answered our prayers" (This was obviously in America, but not the deep South), and another family who were devout churchgoers, praying by their child's bedside all day and night, only for their child to die a painful death, never did sit right with me.
I believe in a higher power, but when I pray it is always a 'Thank You' for the health and happiness of my family but never to request anything.

I'm a christian and, 'Yes, I do pray' - but not in the kneeling by the bed way. I often pray for someone because they simply come to mind in the course of my day. Our church have a WhatsApp group for prayer requests and I find it very reassuring to know that friends will pray if I'm in need.

Me too!

Charleygirl5

The nuns finished me off with religion of any sort at the age of 17.

Me too <shudders>
They condemned any girl who wasn’t RC, especially if they refused to convert to the religion.

Moggycuddler

Gave up with religion a very long time ago when praying to an invisible something started to seem absurd. I also wondered why a loving "god" would answer the prayers of some and not others. Why does one person's beloved child die but not another's? Living without religion is freeing.

I agree with you. What loving and compassionate 'God' would allow the carnage the world is seeing at the moment? Religion is in the mix of most of the wars and conflicts. I was brought up to treat others with respect 7 days a week and that's what I try to do.

Yes, ‘Thoughts and prayers’ has become a cliche, which may well not imply any actual praying.
I avoid it. Partly because I don’t subscribe. Partly because it’s tainted as the standard utterance of gun-supporting American politicians after a mass shooting.

Gave up with religion a very long time ago when praying to an invisible something started to seem absurd. I also wondered why a loving "god" would answer the prayers of some and not others. Why does one person's beloved child die but not another's? Living without religion is freeing.