Why do we pray?

A friend asked this recently in a discussion group we both belong to:

 A similar question was posed to the four "Abrahamic Program for Young Adults" coordinators this year at Chautauqua; "How to you deal with the reality of evil and still believe that God is almighty?" I thought they (all mid-20's!) had some great insights towards their question, and also yours.

A couple of them talked about recognizing the difference between tragedy/disaster and evil. Evil is a human concept, the intentional betrayal of the transcendental bit of God (our true self in Hindu terms, the Holy Spirit in Christian terms, etc., etc.) that exists in every human being, or perhaps in every living thing, or even in every created thing -- pick your philosophy. Thus, the essential role of the believer is in to engage in "fixing the world" -- trying to return, self and others, individually and collectively, to a proper relationship with their essential nature, the part of G_d that is within us all. I think then, in this view, prayer could be considered the ego-self engaging with the true-self (Allah, G_d, Holy Spirit) and attempting to willingly submit the ego to what this inner spirit is saying.

But natural disaster is a disaster only in human terms. For the planet as a whole, earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanoes, etc., are not disasters. In fact, they are essential for renewing the Earth. And cosmologically, even stars that collide, planets that burn out; we could potentially be wiped out as a planet at any moment. And yet that, as much human pain as it may bring, is not evil, although we often assume that it is so. In truth, is there really anything in our understanding of God and creation that requires that humans are central in the grand scheme of things?

In neither case, against evil or in the wake of disaster, are our temporal selves ever "safe" or protected, and I can't imagine why or how the Almighty we say we believe in could or would intervene. Evil must have its consequences, if we are ever to choose to listen to the spirit rather than to our own ego. And, G_d pronounced the Universe majestic and "good" and reflecting Her glory, even though it does not in any way appear to revolve around humans and our needs.

As long as we are primarily concerned about our temporal selves and physical/emotional wants and needs, we will never be in control or safe. Psychologists say most of us need to block out how "iffy" life actually is just to function effectively, and I think some people do use prayer to this end. As you say, to feel in control. But, I don't personally believe that this the purpose or intent for prayer that the great religions put forward.

If there is (and I believe there is) something before "in the beginning" and after "the end," something that is light and life, the full reality of love, that exists beyond our definitions and our understanding of existence -- that is not only transcendent, forever beyond and ultimately unknowable, but that also is our innermost self and essence and intimately knowable, then I think prayer is meant to be about trying to know, to merge with, to become that which in truth we already are. And which is the only constant in this ever-changing and unpredictable world.

In Christian scriptures, Jesus says that we must love God with all our heart, mind, strength and soul, and, interestingly, that a second command is "like" the first, to love others as we love ourselves. Not "as important" but "like." As in, you can't love God if you don't love others, because the two are sides of the same coin. I think of it as the active/passive aspects of the same concept. Prayer/worship/meditation/study are the passive components and service to others/compassion for others are the active components of loving God, just as God is the only true reality, both transcendent/beyond and intimate/inside.

So, as I see it, this is not much to hold onto if you are looking for security or comfort. Life is still scary and unpredictable and full of evil and disasters, and we are in many ways truly powerless. In another way of looking at things, though, the exercise of trying to know that which we call G_d is everything and exceedingly more than everything.