Why do the main religions require followers to pray?

[wildwood]

If their idol is so great, surely it would know the prayers thoughts and take that as devotion....... or is this praying business another tact to make the followers think they are doing something 'good'.

[RATTER15]

If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, “Let us go and worship other gods” (gods that neither you nor your ancestors have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to them or listen to them. Show them no pity. Do not spare them or shield them. 9 You must certainly put them to death. Your hand must be the first in putting them to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone them to death, because they tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Deuteronomy 13:6-10

[RATTER15]

Then he said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Each man strap a sword to his side. Go back and forth through the camp from one end to the other, each killing his brother and friend and neighbor.’”

Exodus 32:27

[keyplus90]

It all depends upon what you really mean by “Pray”? If you mean asking for help in difficulties then that is a different scenario. However if you bring worshipping into the meanings of pray then things do change.

I pray to God not only for myself but for others too. God knows what is going to happen. But do we know what is going to happen in the future? No we do not. Perhaps God knows that at such and such time this person would pray to me and then this or that would happen. For example if someone go and jump off the cliff and say that God would save me if he would like to. Then clearly that is wrong. However God may still save him or he may still survive as few others would put it. But if he dies then it would be wrong to say that God did it. A person should be responsible for his/her own action too.

[beso]

I find the concept of worshipping anything repulsive especially when it is directed to Abraham's Monster.

[naomi24]

//I pray to God not only for myself but for others too. God knows what is going to happen.//

If he knows what's going to happen, what's the point of praying to him? It's a complete waste of time and effort.

[sandyRoe]

At its best prayer can be a meditation. If you're behaving in a manner that's harming yourself, or others, then praying/meditating might help you change that behaviour.

[keyplus90]

///If he knows what's going to happen, what's the point of praying to him? It's a complete waste of time and effort.///

Yes he knows what is going to happen we don’t. Or Naomi – lets put it in different words. I know you have children and most probably you must have brought them up as well if I am not wrong. When your child was a toddler, did you wait till he/she started crying before giving him/her milk or food or just shoved it into her mouth at a regular time as obviously you knew he/she has to be hungry at that time?

Having said that no one is pleading you to pray are they? Doctors say that people who have some sort of faith recover better after illness and operations and obviously that is because of prayer that gives people strength. You may (and I know you will) call it placebo effect but it does work so perhaps next time you should try it even for the sake of placebo.

[naomi24]

Keyplus, just one small hitch with your example. You are not a child.

[keyplus90]

Yes in Gods eyes we are. Because a child is only a child because he/she does not know as much you do. And it still stays like that throughout the life as few people know more than others. So as God knows what we do not then it is same. But of course few people do not like to accept that they do not know about something.

[naomi24]

If God exists, you haven't the foggiest idea what goes on in his eyes - and neither does anyone else.

[keyplus90]

Do you?

[naomi24]

Read what I said - and you'll find the answer to that. Not too difficult - it's only a line and a half.

[keyplus90]

Naomi - ////If God exists, you haven't the foggiest idea what goes on in his eyes - and neither does anyone else.////

That tells me, if God exists I do not have foggiest idea goes on in his eyes. And I asked you that if God does exist do you have foggiest idea what goes on in his eyes?

It is a simple question, so answer it.

[Lonnie]

Its God, not the people, they are just obeying orders, eg 'Thou shalt worship no other Gods before me'

Just doing what they are told to.

[boxtops]

In answer to the earlier question, there aren't always tragedies when pilgrims go to Mecca - with 3m people on hajj, it gets overcrowded, and fires and crushes are often human error, not divine intervention. If you die in Mecca it is three times more valuable to pilgrims' hereafters than if you die elsewhere - if people die on hajj they are buried in Mecca which is considered a great honour.

[naomi24]

Keyplus, I've already answered your question. 'You haven't the foggiest idea what goes on in his eyes - and neither does anyone else.'

The clue is in the word 'anyone'.

[Iggle Piggle]

A little off-topic, but where does religion stand when someone is in a great deal of pain, or gets violently killed? Where is any form of 'God', 'Allah', or other 'superior being' and why do they not do something?

[wildwood]

I can take aboard the reference to the placebo affect that it make people feel better, but this is surely not why religions require 'subjects' to pray - whether worship or for forgiveness/favours for an ailing relative/friend. Besides, each person has their future planned out for them by the almighty, so praying is not going to make one iota of difference.

[Ankou]

wildwood, prayer is a doctrine of the christian church (amongst others). it was/is not considered enough just to believe, you were/are required to demonstrate that belief through prayer. anything less lead to heresy accusations, so it stuck that you were 'required' to pray to show your belief less get burned at the stake or ..worse.

google lex orandi, lex credendi.

[Truthabounds]

Prayer is not just a means of telling God what we need. In his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: “Your Father knows what things you are needing before ever you ask him.” Yet, Jesus also said: “Keep on asking, and it will be given you.” (Matthew 6:8; 7:7)
It is not an empty ritual, a major reason is to have a close relationship with him. Prayer shows we have faith in God . To illustrate, if you have a good relationship with your father/mother there is good communication and if you love your parents then you will want to talk to them. This is the same with God. If we have a good relationship (faith) we will want to talk to him through prayer.