When You Pray - No Beats Necessary

Prayer
Prayer
Mary Magdalene
by
Ary Scheffer (1795-1858).
Prayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional connection to God,
or
any deity,
through deliberate practice.
Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song.
When language
is used,
prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation,
formal creedal statement,
or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person.
There are different forms of prayer such as petitionary prayer,
prayers of supplication,
thanksgiving, and worship/praise.
Prayer may be directed towards a deity,
spirit,
deceased person,
or lofty idea,
for the purpose of worshiping,
requesting guidance,
requesting assistance,
confessing sins or to express one's thoughts and emotions.
Thus,
people pray for many reasons such as personal benefit
or
for the sake of others.
Most major religions involve prayer in one way or another.
Some ritualize the act of prayer,
requiring a strict sequence of actions or placing a restriction
on who is permitted to pray,
while others teach that prayer may be practiced spontaneously
by
anyone at any time.
Scientific studies regarding the use of prayer have mostly concentrated on its effect on the healing of sick or injured people.
The efficacy of petition in prayer for physical healing
to a
deity has been evaluated in numerous studies,
with contradictory results.
There has been some criticism
of the
way the studies were conducted

Praying has many different forms.
Prayer may be done privately and individually, or it may be done corporately in the presence of fellow believers.
Prayer can be incorporated into a daily
"thought life,"
in which one is in constant communication with a god.
Some people pray throughout all that
is
happening during the day
and
seek guidance as the day progresses.
This is actually regarded as a requirement in several Christian denominations,
although enforcement is not possible nor desirable. There can be many different answers to prayer, just as there are many ways to interpret an answer to a question, if there in fact comes an answer.
Some may experience audible, physical, or mental epiphanies.
If indeed an answer comes,
the time and place it comes is considered random.
Some outward acts that sometimes accompany prayer are: anointing with oil;
ringing a bell;
burning incense or paper;
lighting a candle or candles;
facing a specific direction
(i.e. towards Mecca or the East);
making the sign of the cross.
One less noticeable act related to prayer is fasting.
A variety of body postures may be assumed,
often with specific meaning
(mainly respect or adoration)
associated with them:
standing; sitting; kneeling;
prostrate on the floor;
eyes opened;
eyes closed;
hands folded or clasped;
hands upraised;
holding hands with others;
a laying on of hands and others.
Prayers may be recited from memory,
read from a book of prayers,
or
composed spontaneously as they are prayed.
They may be said, chanted, or sung.
They may be with musical accompaniment or not.
There may be a time of outward silence while prayers are offered mentally.
Often, there are prayers to fit specific occasions,
such as the blessing of a meal,
the birth or death of a loved one,
other significant events in the life of a believer,
or
days of the year
that have special religious significance.