How often do you pray?

[Anonymous]

I pray before every meal (just to be grateful for the food) and before bed every night (where I give thanks for my family, health, etc.)

My prayers probably don't meet the Christian standards by which I was raised, but my prayers now are more personal reflections on my gratitude and my attempt to find balance with decisions and wants, rather than asking for specific things from a higher power.

I think the turning point in my history with prayers was two years ago when my mother was diagnosed with cancer. It would not occur to me to pray that my mother be cancer free - I realized that was out of my hands, and hers - but I prayed that we have emotional and physical strength in a difficult time, etc., etc. I find those prayers are much more achievable, and more out of the hands of a responsible party (G-d).

[Anonymous]

A prayer is nto a wish and a wish is not a prayer

[Anonymous]

My mom was a diabetic and had several complications from her illness. She was on dialysis for years before she died. She was in the hospital when she developed pneumonia and she developed a c-diff infection shortly after she got out of the hospital. She died about 2 months later. She was in the hospital for 5 days before she died and she was on a vent that was doing all of her breathing for her and she was topped out on the meds that were keeping her blood pressure from dropping more. She ended up developing gas gangrene and her chance of survival for the following week was less than 5% and if she had somehow survived, she would have had to have several surgeries to repair the damage from the gas gangrene. My aunts and sisters prayed for a miracle recovery and the only prayer I sent was just asking that she pass peacefully and without any further pain. I knew the score as far as what a recover would mean for her and I knew that she was in pain all of the time. That was the hardest that I've ever prayed and it's the hardest prayer request that I have ever made.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pray every night before bed, every night with my children before they go to bed, on Sunday mornings at church, and whenever I am feeling a lot of stress or anxiety.

I do not ask for specific actions or material things, but I do ask for things like peace, contentment, calm, strength, patience, wisdom, and to keep my loved ones safe from harm. I also give abundant thanks in prayer.

All day long, not on my knees, but just a silent prayer for someone who needs a prayer, for family, friends, and some peopleI don't even know. Giving thanks is also the key and I do give abundant thanks. Sometimes, I pray and just hand it over to God and then I stop worrying because it has never failed that the solution to a problem comes to me or a need is met for whomever there is need.

[Anonymous]

5 times a day.

[Anonymous]

I mostly ask for guidance and give thanks, about one or two times per day. I don't ask for "things", like money or a new car, just concepts, like wisdom, strength, calm, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whenever I feel like praying, I dance. I dance with my kids at least every night, and on the weekends. Makes me feel better, and very often, the things I wish for while dancing come true.

For instance, we have a very cluttered, claustrophobic house. I danced and danced for a way to fix this. To all the skeptics out there--we just put the finishing touches on a huge, beautiful garden shed.

[Anonymous]

I pray every day. I'm Jewish. I pray for another child and am thankful for the healthy family I have. I try to be specific, faithful, thankful, and realistic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I'm intrigued by this. Do you not pray for remission when a family member has cancer? Do you not pray for your husband to get the dream job he applied for? Do you not pray for your son to make friends at his new school? "

How does this work? Whose prayers are answered? And why?

Not the PP, but I believe my prayers worked. For instance, my husband was dead set against having children. Novena to St. Jude, he became all for it. We are now undergoing IVF. That is a far leap from not wanting children at all to such interventions to have children.

St. Jude answered my prayers, I have no doubt.

I find it hard to believe that people still think like this in this day and age. Humans really are just giant hairless rats, I guess, and we shouldn't expect too much of them.

I'm curious as to how you get through life without believing in a power higher than yourself. You have children and you don't think they are miracles? I have seen the power of prayer work miracles with a friend with a stage 4 brain tumor. Many times I pray for God's will to be done and even though you are anonymous on this board, God's know who you are and I just said a prayer for you.

[Anonymous]

AdequateParent wrote:14:08, you sound exceptionally wise, reflective, interesting and altogether cool. I'm going to plagiarize you heavily in future conversations with my daughter. Thank you for your words.

Hey, thanks! You made my day!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP who mentioned a "dream job" as something I might pray for my husband. I've noticed that a couple other posters assume that meant lots of money. It doesn't.

Let me ask this. To those of you that pray not for outcomes, but for "stength, wisdom, etc." What is it that you are thankful for? I gather you are not praying for the remission or the dream job or the friends for Billy, but you are offering prayers of thanks when they occur?

I'm thankful for a new day, and I say this in my prayers every morning before I get out of bed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"St. Jude answered my prayers, I have no doubt. "

Why are there unanswered prayers?

Garth Brooks - Unanswered Prayers
Just the other night a hometown football game
My wife and I ran into my old high school flame
And as I introduced them the past came back to me
And I couldn't help but think of the way things used to be

She was the one that I'd wanted for all times
And each night I'd spend prayin' that God would make her mine
And if he'd only grant me this wish I wished back then
I'd never ask for anything again

CHORUS:
Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

She wasn't quite the angel that I remembered in my dreams
And I could tell that time had changed me
Inn her eyes too it seemed
We tried to talk about the old days
There wasn't much we could recall
I guess the Lord knows what he's doin' after all

And as she walked away and I looked at my wife
And then and there I thankedd the good Lord
For the gifts in my life

CHORUS

Some of God's greatest gifts are all too often unanswered...
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How often do you pray? Say novenas? Pray the Rosary?

Do you often pray for intercessions? (such as infertility)

OP: The way you've worded your question seems to be for Catholics from a Catholic. I think the way Catholics and Protestants pray is different. Protestants don't pray to specific saints for specific things. I think we pray more generally for happiness and peace and less for divine intervention.

[Anonymous]

PP, I'm Catholic with broad exposure and participation in a variety of spiritual paths before ultimately choosing confirmation in my 20's. My prayers and spiritual reflections are really varied. I could care less if they are sanctioned by the Church. I use vipassana meditation techniques for clarity and serenity. I pray for specific peace, safety and health for specific friends and family in need. And, I say the Hail Mary all the time. It is a prayer that provides me peace and a mental focal point.
I'm actually encouraged that I'm not the only person who prays. Thank you for the post OP.

[Anonymous]

* pp here, I guess that next to last sentence sounds weird. I always assume there are people who pray regularly, I just for some reason never imagined it to be in the DC area.