Bernie Michalik's posterous site

If you are not religious, it might seem strange if I asked you if you pray.
You might reply: of course not...why would you ask for something from some
One or some Thing that you don't believe in?

But prayer is more than asking for supernatural favours. Prayer is a way of
expressing yourself with something much greater than yourself. It is
communion with something greater that is outside yourself. For many with a
deep faith in their God, prayer is something they do often. It is a
continual communication that they do everyday, many times a day, in many
different ways. Sometimes the words are sung, sometimes they are old words
repeated, sometimes they are new words, and sometimes there are no words at
all.

What prayer does is allow them to connect with their god or gods. But even
if you don't believe in a god, you (and everyone) believes that they are
part of something greater than themselves. It could be Fate, Life,
Humanity, History, or the Universe. Prayer can be a way of thinking and
expressing your relationship to that.

Even as a secular humanist you can pray. For example, if someone you love
was injured, you might pray for their recovery. You don't expect God to
drop down and heal them: even most devout Christians don't expect that. But
in your prayers you can express your hope that the people involved in
treating the person will do a good job, and you express the anguish that
you feel in knowing that they are suffering.

Or you may experience something beautiful and you are filled with joy at
this occurring. You might think to yourself how great this is and how it
has deeper significance to you and your place in the world. Even shouted
"profanities" at such a time could be a form of a prayer.

The advantage of reclaiming prayer if you are an agnostic or an atheist is
that it gives you a means of communicating with and about things greater
than yourself. It also puts your life in context and gives you a connection
with the bigger picture, whatever that picture looks like to you. The
universe is not random, and your life is connected and a part of it. Prayer
is a way of thinking and communicating that, whatever you believe.

Believers pray regularly and spontaneously. Regular prayers, if not
mindless, become a form of meditation and contemplation. Nonbelievers would
do well to consider something similar, even if instead of a church they sat
on a bench, did yoga or went running, or simply performed the chores they
do daily. Such ways of expressing your connection to the world gives your
life greater meaning and allows you to reflect upon it.

Our days can be swept up in our ordinary busyness. Prayer allows us to
reclaim our lives with its highs and lows and doldrums and helps us to
appreciate just how great life is.

As always, thanks for taking the time to read this.
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