Prayer: an effort to communicate with God, or to another deity or spirit, either to offer praise, to make a request, or simply to express one's thoughts and emotions (Wikipedia)
I thought I'd lived long enough to know enough; I thought nothing could surprise me anymore when it came to prayers. Yet reading the whole article about prayers in Wikipedia proved me wrong. The statistical researches about the effectivity of prayers, are especially interesting.
Long before I read the researches though, I have always suspected -- and I believe we all do -- that prayers at best help us to focus our minds and relieve stress. Little do they help us increase the chance of getting that promotion, or breaking free from that overwhelming financial problems. Prayers give us hope, and the illusion (yes, I'll use the word illusion) that we have something to hold on to.
When in reality, of course, we have truly nothing to hold on to.
Which makes me wonder why I still bother to pray from time to time.
Which makes me wonder why I still bother to pray from time to time.
ReplyDeleteUhm...because--to quote you again--"Prayers give us hope, and the illusion...that we have something to hold on to." which is surely much better than being in despair and being reminded that we don't have anything to hold on to.
And because somehow, praying is err...romantic.
ReplyDelete...and nothing's wrong with being a romantic. So keep those prayers on. =)
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that praying to me now has become a bit time-wasting and disruptive. Even when I am doing it, I am totally convinced that my words are not at all convincing. So why would God, if he does exist, bother to grant my wish?
ReplyDeleteBut as much as I don't believe prayers work (aside from the calming meditative effect), I still hope there is God after all, so that Akbar Tanjung wouldn't get away with all his wrongdoings on earth. Heh.
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