48 percent of Americans pray every day. Here's what they pray for.

[kpete]

The reports also shows a class divide in prayer habits, as Christianity Today reports:

One-quarter of respondents with an annual income higher than $150,000 pray for "bad things to happen to bad people," while only around 8 percent of respondents making less than $50,000 said they would do so. And nearly one in five Americans with incomes over $150,000 have prayed for someone to get fired; in contrast, only 1 in 20 Americans who make between $75,000 and $149,000 and only one in 100

Americans who make less than $30,000 say they have prayed the same.

These findings seem to support the theory that an "empathy gap" exists between the rich and the poor.


MORE:
http://www.vox.com/2014/10/6/6918427/lots-of-americans-pray-heres-what-they-pray-for-study
http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2014/10/5-percent-religious-americans-routinely-try-fool-god

[WhiteAndNerdy]

1. Funny

On another forum I frequent, a few years ago, there was a young woman (mid- to late twenties) who posted often about being a Christian of the evangelical variety. Her posts often took the form of prayers, and she was taking a distance learning course offered by a Bible college (fairly well-known, but I can't remember the name right off hand). Anyway, she was also obsessed with a married male coworker, and started posting prayers asking Jesus to break up his marriage so she could have him. I just could not figure that one out. I left Christianity many years ago, and even I would have been afraid to offer a prayer like that.

[jaysunb]

2. My prayer is not there.

[hollysmom]

3. so basically most people who pray are not good people?

Someone acted out at a gala I was out and got mad because I talked to other people - like that is what people do, especially if you had not seen them since last year. So she jumped in a picture that I was in, pushing down on my shoulder with all her weight so she could jump in the air and be taller and coming up from behind so I had no idea she would do that. I am 70 years old - who is that stupid? I dislocated my shoulder and have been in pain ever since -anyway, if I prayed, and I am an atheist, it would be for her to get the help she needs, How sad people can be so oblivious and not realize why she has so few friends, one less now. She needs help.

[safeinOhio]

4. When I was a kid I wanted a bike.

So, I prayed and prayed, but never got one.

Then Mom took me to Sunday school and I learned God doesn't work that way.

So, went out and stole one and then prayed for forgiveness.

[NightWatcher]

7. Knowing the system and working the loopholes....

That's how it's done.

[hollysmom]

8. bwah

[KurtNYC]

31. "God helps those who help themselves"

[Prophet 451]

17. Most people generally are not good people

I'm studying psychology (and have an exam in the morning, pray for me!) and, the more I learn, the more I notice that most humans are not very nice people.

[Nye Bevan]

23. My experience is the opposite (nt)

[AnalystInParadise]

35. How did you arrive at that conclusion?

n/t

[Arugula Latte]

5. So what about "God has a plan for everything"?

If the Grand Deity already has a plan, isn't prayer pointless? Or does His Invisibleness KNOW that people are going to pray, and that is built into the plan?! Is this Supreme Being playing 11-Dimension Chess?!

[RedCappedBandit]

9. Yeah, I really don't get it

Also it always seemed completely ludicrous to me that an omnipotent being would be inside everyone's minds waiting to hear their petty concerns

[Prophet 451]

18. Depends on the deity

My chosen deity (Lucifer) is neither omnipresent nor all-knowing and so, when I pray for something in this world, I'm asking him to direct his attention toward that thing.

[Frustratedlady]

6. How ironic you posted this, today. I just had a conversation with my daughter

about people and their overuse of prayer for their own gains. My reply is God helps those who help themselves and it's best to not abuse prayer...save it for when all else is hopeless or lost.

I have acquaintances who pray for everything, and I DO mean everything. My first thought is they have so little confidence in their own abilities and beliefs; they pray in the hopes that one will stick. Give Him/Her a break!

These same people are bigots, but won't admit it.

[RedCappedBandit]

10. lol. nt

[KG]

11. religion lol n/t

[hobbit709]

12. My prayer is simple "Jesus, save me from your followers"

[Scuba]

13. Anybody still praying for peace? Or has everyone realized that doesn't work.

[MindPilot]

14. Nothing fails like prayer.

Every day almost half the population implores their imaginary friend to smite their enemies and we find absolutely nothing odd about that. The mere fact that the other 52% of us aren't pointing and laughing I think is a sure sign of our impending demise.

Unless we--as a species--evolve the religion wiring from our brains, humans are doomed.

[Prophet 451]

19. There's me

I still pray for peace. It may not achieve anything (I'm willing to accept the possibility that my deity doesn't exist and I'm even more nuts than my shrink says) but it makes me feel better.

[ChazII]

24. I am one of the ones who pray for peace.

Sept. 11. 2001, I prayed for those who flew into the towers as everyone else had folks praying for them. Now I am praying for ISIS and not for their destruction. Rather I pray that they find a way to live in peace with those who disagree with them.

[msanthrope]

15. So a majority of Americans will not pray today. Good. nt

[FSogol]

16. No one besides me prays for "free waffle day" or "talking llamas"?

[Jamaal510]

20. I'm surprised that 13%

of people actually pray over a game. Of all the things to pray for, why a game? Unless you're a team owner, a coach, a player in a game, or are making a bet, its outcome will not affect the average person's life either way. I don't get paid when the Raiders or A's win. All sports basically is to me is a source of city pride.

[Ron Green]

21. My only prayer is "Thanks."

It makes theological sense and it seems to work best for me.

[KittyWampus]

22. Meditation helps in self-awareness, stress relief and FEELING COMPASSION.

In one study, a research team from Massachusetts General Hospital looked at the brain scans of 16 people before and after they participated in an eight-week course in mindfulness meditation. The study, published in the January issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, concluded that after completing the course, parts of the participants' brains associated with compassion and self-awareness grew, and parts associated with stress shrank.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/meditation-wiring-brain-happiness/story?id=14180253

[Duer 157099]

25. Well I noticed in tonight's baseball game

the Nats rookie pitcher bowed his head before starting his inning (7th)... no doubt asking his deity to help him win the game... and this pitcher BLEW IT big time! I mean massively. I wonder if he blames his deity?

[peace13]

26. This is hysterical...

And they should be embarrassed ! What ever happened to praying for peace, understanding, food for the hungry, shelter for the less fortunate or the wars to fricking stop?. God must be very disappointed in these folks.

Prayed for years that my parents would stop fighting...did't get that either!

[Xyzse]

27. Dang, it looks like prayers have become bastardized by supposed Christians.

That is disgusting and missing the point of prayer entirely.

[stopbush]

28. What a self-aggrandizing waste of time.

[Wella]

29. 41% pray for people who mistreat them.

I'd say that was pretty decent.

[Feral Child]

30. IF they're telling the truth.

IF they mean it.

People lie to their god(s) a lot. Almost as much as they lie to themselves.

[Wella]

34. They probably are.

No need to give into cynicism.

[Feral Child]

36. Plenty of reason to embrace cynicism.

Look around you (take off the rose tints 1st, though).

[KurtNYC]

32. Harvard released a study that found that patients who knew they were being prayed for had the worst

outcomes of 3 groups -- prayed for after being told maybe, not prayed for after being told maybe, prayed for and told so.

The STEP team, composed of investigators at six academic medical centers, including Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts; Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota; St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Florida; Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C; and the Mind/Body Medical Institute, found that intercessory prayer had no effect on recovery from surgery without complications. The study also found that patients who knew they were receiving intercessory prayer fared worse. The paper appears in the April issue of American Heart Journal.

http://web.med.harvard.edu/sites/RELEASES/html/3_31STEP.html

[yortsed snacilbuper]

33. God,

protect me from your followers!