Prayer as a Culture and the Breath of Life to the Practicing Christians and to the Non-Christians - Research Paper Example

To the practising Christians, prayer gives them the courage and conviction to obey God, the authority, and the laws. Prayer and work or work and prayer should be the business of Christians’ life (White, 1881). It becomes a daily routine in their life. Scholars or researchers in a scientific field such as sociology, medicine, even other religion often question about the role of prayer in a person’s life and whether prayer influences health. Cadge and Daglian (2008) found that the words people express in their prayer have an impact on their health.

In his review of The magic of prayer: an introduction to the psychology of faith, Mok stated that prayer is the “infantile helpless cry,” a personal motivation, an expression of mutual relationship with God, a fundamental process that sustain a person’s dependence on God, and it keeps a person’s constant communion with God. A person will communicate with God through prayer – yet it depends on his or her faith. Prayer is non-methodological, self-sustaining process, and self-gratifying inward attachment to God informally.

It emphasizes experiencing God’s presence. The goal of prayer is to feel and enjoy a treasured, mutual, and loving relationship with God (Mok, 2003), to seek His guidance and protection against the wiles of the devil (White, 1898). Researchers in the field of social and developmental psychology are interested in prayer as it reveals an interpersonal relationship, stress and coping, and loneliness one feels in his or her life, particularly during illness.