Prayer And Benefits

I stumbled across this article on the healing power of prayer, and on praying for the sake of praying, thanks to GWR's article referencing yet another Baha'i blog that had flown under my own personal radar.
The thought of "praying for prayer's sake" has always fascinated me, and, at the same time, amused me.
Perhaps that sounds a bit cynical, and that's truly not how it's meant, I only hope I can explain this idea in my head without coming across as less than supportive of this idea.

I pray quite a bit. Sometimes it comes in the form of words flowing from my own mind and mouth, other times it's praying words from my prayer book, my obligatory prayers, and still other times, it's little but an open-ended, silent, wordless call to God.

People speak of praying for reasons other than the benefits that come with it.

Well, that's a problem.

The point of prayer, to me, is benefit. That's not to say all my prayers are asking for something. They're not. However, praying to God to praise Him heals our own indifference or lack of gratitude. Praying to God for patience makes us more aware of the opportunities we're given to practice this quality. Praying to God for clarity forces us to be more honest with ourselves about what we already know. These are all benefits. Even if the world existed without God, even if we were praying to the plaster that held the wall next to our bed together, these benefits would still exist. Those of us who believe He answers prayers- and I do- know that it's so much more.

It is important, I think, to pray in times of thanks as well as times of hardship. It is important to increase our awareness of the beautiful parts of our lives- and there really are just so many- but calling it prayer for prayer's sake, well, I'm just not sure that works.

As always, these are merely my musings, and they are not intended to be treated as gospel nor taken too personally. They are neither authoritative nor disrespectful in manner or intent.