Prayer
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with a deity, an object of worship, or a spiritual entity through deliberate communication. Prayer can be a form of religious practice, may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creed, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person. There are different forms of prayer such as petitionary prayer, prayers of supplication, thanksgiving, and worship/praise. Prayer may be directed towards a deity, spirit, deceased person, or lofty idea, for the purpose of worshipping, requesting guidance, requesting assistance, confessing sins or to express one's thoughts and emotions. Thus, people pray for many reasons such as personal benefit or for the sake of others. Yoga is also a common form of prayer.
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Famous quotes containing the word prayer:
“Your sins have found you out, and now you must pay the price of all women like you. You have brought a child into this world against the commandment. Prayer is wasted on your sort. You should be cast out into the utter darkness ‘til you have learned your lesson. Michael Lewis do you admit your sin?... Then prepare to suffer your punishment.”
—Philip Dunne (1908–1992)
“A childish soul not inoculated with compulsory prayer is a soul open to any religious infection.”
—Alexander Cockburn (b. 1941)
“We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.”
—Morning Prayer, General Confession, Book of Common Prayer (1662)