What is prayer (and similar things)?

[The Straight Story]

From projecting positive energy to prayer - what does it mean, what does it hope to accomplish, what drives it, et al?

For me, as a christian, it is a way to petition god or thank god for things - a verbal way of communicating and hoping someone on the other end is listening. Sort of like putting some data into a search engine and hoping to get results back from it perhaps. Or is it more a way to comfort ourselves through the belief/faith that some with more power than us can hear it and act?

I dunno really, as my faith has been tested time and again and I was once atheist - perhaps I am at times too cynical. Some prayers have been answered, others not. The ones that were, were too odd to be coincidental imho and some 25 years later still leave me wondering.

Alas, I am rambling beyond the scope of my question :)

[murray hill farm]

1. prayer is an attempt to connect, within ourselves

to the part of us that is the connection to the "everything" and the only prayer that is ever answered is that of a desire for understanding of our own role in its unfolding.

[Ecumenist]

2. I believe prayer is everything you said and for me...

It's very simple. It's talking to God. AS a Christian, I believe that it's not always about asking for things; rather, it's about saying hello and being thankful for everyday blessings.

[The Straight Story]

3. Would have to agree with that, but

what is expected, if anything, from prayer?

I do pray and thank god for that which I have, good and bad. I am just trying to understand overall what it is and what it means.

[Ecumenist]

4. I believe that there are different expectations for each person...

Just based on my own experience, I have seen tangible results. I'm not a fundamentalist by any stretch of the imagination. There are things I have experienced that have shown me the reality of the function of prayer and what I have seen in my own life. :hi:

[Charleyski]

5. What shall it be?

Let me tell you about prayer. I live outside a small town
called Hardesty in the oklahoma Panhandle. I relocated my
internet business from california  to centralize shipping
cost. My nearest neighbor is a few miles away so I 'mn happy
about that. In this area of the country they make a tradition
out of breaking Federal law and Supreme court ruling with the
blessing of law enforcement and the DA's office. They put
fundamentalist fanaticism above the Constitution and the law
of the land. They use the public school as the breeding ground
for the next generation of Republican zombies. Teachers told
my daughter this is a Christian country and if you don't like
it get out! The students told my daughter in the presents of
teachers that she must be a homosexual because only gays vote
for Kerry and we are Christians and we vote for Bush. My
daughter refused to say the lords prayer at a school
basketball game and was kicked off the team. One year later
she refused to say the lords prayer and instead said the
pledge of allegiance as it was written the next day she was
suspended but not before she was locked in a room and not
allowed to leave until my wife got there. I have Federal
lawsuits filed and more on the way.I have been told to call in
the FBI. I have law enforcement( the school board members son)
trying to force people to write false statements that they saw
weapons on my property so they can  obtain a search warrant of
my property. I have had felony stops done on me for a late
tag( School board members son). I have a DA willing to drop
all charges against me if I leave the county.( this will
negate my Daughters federal lawsuits.)I have my children out
of school after my wife received phone calls that the
Principles son said "Should I get a gun" when he saw
my daughter and my son. Letters were sent to the school,DA. No
action My children have been out of school for 2 months no
investigation. No inquiry into their educational needs by the
school board. They are happy my children gone so they can
continue to break the law and steal your tax money. Praise the
Lord! 
The school board and Texas County is knowingly and willfully
disregarding state and federal funding guidelines. Basically
stealing tax payers money for law abiding public schools to
fund what has become religious schools that advocates one
religion and political party and they have been doing it for
years. The truth is my daughter refused to break the law and
was punished for it. I stood up for her and was vilified in
local news and press. Yet all would have been dropped if I had
move a few miles south into Texas. This is a corrupt county
where law enforcement is part of the attempt to run us out of
town. In the end we will prevail. But as for prayer and
religion in general my children have seen what good Christians
are about. Fear, madness, evil and lies. As I told a good 
christain of Hardesty as she was screaming at my indian wife
"Hardesty is the Devils den."I should have said
Oklahoma is the devils den.
If you are thinking to move to Oklahoma  well unless you are a
religious fanatic who thinks that the ways of Jesus were to
harm children then past by this madhouse state where they spit
on the constitution and the first amendment.  Where fear is
their true God.
I am an atheist but I know where evil resides. Come to
Hardesty early in the morning and have a cup of coffee at the
local hangout and speak the name Smalkowski. And watch the
evil pour forth and then come on by and see how they have
lied.
Christians listen to me well. You will be the downfall of this
nation not any terrorists. As I have told fellow atheists, it
is time to take off the kids gloves with these fundamentalist
zealots for our nation is at stake. Debate to them. Talk to
them. But let them know that in the back of your thoughts you
know they are truly insane.
 
We are at the crossroads in our nations history. Where we can
travel up the road of enlightenment and freedom or travel once
again down that road where ignorance reigns supreme and
freedom of thought is banished to the realm of the heretic.

What shall it be? 

A comforting fairytale about bogus gods in the sky? Or to
venture out into the dark to look up at the night sky  to
glimpse at that from which we came and see our true home.
No pearly gates, no deals and payment plans for immortality.
Just a second or two to feel my connect to it all . No more no
less and that's okay with me.

when all are free
chuck smalkowski 

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. Welcome to DU, Chuck

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. What you said. I really do think that we are all connected somehow

at some level and that sending out good vibes or what-have-you might ripple out and do something useful somewhere.

I figure it can't hurt to try and in the case of 'petitions' at the very least I have let go of a problem that is bothering me and regained some perspective on my situation.