Well. Yes. Prayer is about what you believe.

Some people sing

You can pray for non-believers if you want but it won’t make any difference

I don’t pray and don’t really believe in a God. That said, I have been known to talk out loud to myself. Maybe I’m hoping someone is listening.

I say some things that could be considered inverse prayers like when I hit my thumb with a hammer or bang my head on something.

I’ve always been intrigued by the loud prayers in some religions/sects. All my life it’s been a private relationship and conversation with God.

Of course we pray for nonbelievers, in general or specifically. Although we usually do not speak it to them, as it’s usually seen as an insult instead of love.

What are online prayers? Not familiar. Usually a believer or group entreat God personally for intervention. Computer-generated is likely meaningless without at least one person actually praying for that. Just my thoughts, good question.

I usually say a silent prayer before sleeping to wish everyone a safe, happy life and to thank the powers that be and all our ancestors a huge thankyou for all that they struggled for to make my /our lives better.
@cookieman
Your ancestors ( thousands) ARE watching over you too,as is every soul on this earth has since the beginning of time.

@Inspired_2write: Maybe so.

Try millions of ancestors @Inspired_2write. Going back to the primordial bacteria.

I do not pray. I meditate using the Waking Up app

@ragingloli That video was much better than I thought it was gonna be. There is nothing wrong with praying, I know I have in the past. Not sure if it really helps but it doesn’t hurt.

Animal and human sacrifice have been used in many religions.

^^^^ That was a type of prayer.

When I was a child I prayed. I prayed like all-get-out for a Superman suit and a pony, but didn’t get either one.
Go figure.

Tibet also has a tradition of tying strips of cloth to a tree signifying prayers that are lifted into the wind. Some Christian churches have groups that make prayer shawls. Prayers for the recipient are offered as the shawls are knitted or crocheted.

When my cousin became a preacher & got his own church, I used to send him emails asking him to pray for me in a very specific way. One day he asked me WHY I didn’t do my own praying, I responded…You have a better connection than I do. He strongly suggested right then & there that my connection was just as valid as his & that I should try it sometime. It worked!!! That leads me to believing that the “online” prayer is NOT as good as you praying yourself!!!

For me, I find that praying from my heart whether it’s good or bad thoughts, works best for me!!! IF I don’t like something, I say so, IF I do like something, I say so. IF I’m confused about something, I ask for clarification & that often comes in some unorthodox ways!!! I don’t always pray as much as I “talk” to God!!! I seldom speak out loud…opting to speak from my heart!!!

Is it OK to pray for Atheists??? In my opinion…YES!!! Most won’t appreciate it IF you tell them; but, that’s OK…that’s WHY you’re praying for them!!!

I fully believe that prayer is a personal, individual thing & is really between God & the person praying. I don’t believe in telling anyone HOW to pray…ONLY how I choose to pray. Your way may be completely different from mine & we get the exact SAME results in the end!!!

One other thing, IF I pray for something specific & it comes to fruition, I do my best to say Thank You at my earliest convenience, IF not sooner!!!

Please pray for me @LadyMarissa I could use all the help I can get.

^^ You were added not long after we first met. Now, you need to start working on praying for yourself!!!

^^ Thank you so much. Can I pray for you too? You are so loving and wonderful to me {{{HUGS}}} and kisses.

My prayer is “Hey, man….whoever’s out there….keep us safe, all us humans aren’t bad. Give us a bit of justice and let us know you’re real.”

Do these count as prayers?

I could never understand how prayers work. It seems to me that what you are saying is something like this:

Great almighty God, this magnificent universe is the best of all possible worlds. Or almost. May I be so bold as to suggest a very modest improvement to return things to perfection. I know you created bacteria and viruses to help carry out your work, but I think it would be best if you could help me get the upper hand in combatting the particular group that has taken over my body. It is a small thing but I would be so appreciative of your favor. Thank you for taking the time to listen to me. Praise to thee!

They don’t work @LostInParadise.

When I was a child, a priest told us that if you pray for something for yourself, you won’t get it. It’s when you pray for others that things occur. I always thought that made a lot of sense.

@kritiper
Yes. It makes it harder to scientifically test the efficacy of prayers, if you can not observe the results of the experiments.

Maybe you have to have faith prayers work and that God exists?
It’s interesting because so many Christians feel like it’s proven to us time after time. I know there aren’t many theists here so it shouldn’t be a surprise but I only hear that on a few sites I visit. So it shocks me a little to hear.

2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

Finding that “faith” does improve the efficacy of the prayer. My prayers work & it has been proven to me “time after time”.