Sometimes I get the urge or feeling to pray for someone who is not doing well, and I am not religious at all. I take on an Agnostic stance in life. I think that praying is a form of well wishing. It reassures people when they are afraid or lonely also. It sometimes makes me feel safe and secure. I dont think you have to be religious or god-focused to pray.
I am going to do this now more often. Maybe in some way I am starting to acknowledge a higher power, but do not call me religious - I loathe religion
7 Likes
I am not religious however I do have faith. Instead of saying that I am praying for someone I will usually say that I am thinking of them or sending good thoughts or love their way. You are right you can show support without it being religion orientated.
6 Likes
My Wiccan Aunt told me that meditation and praying are a lot a like. Focusing the mind, and putting energy behind a pure uncluttered thought.
Catholics have Rosaryās, I have prayer beads, and my Aunt has the prayer labyrinth.
She says itās a way of stripping away the menusha and clutter of the mind and focusing on an outcome or sending positive energy.
Even though Iām not religious, I can totally get behind that.
6 Likes
I think that I am a confused person when it comes to god. I associate the word god with religion. Do I believe in a higher power? I will say that I do not totally shoot down the idea of a higher power. The sun, the sky,nature,unconditional love is my higher power - something more and bigger than humankind. Schizophrenia and bipolar have eroded at my spirituality. When I become completely delusional I become hyper spiritual - everything is connected to god and the universe type of thing -completely grandiose. Now that I am doing better, I am afraid to embrace my spirituality, because I associate spirituality with my delusions. I am starting to dip my feet into the sea of spirituality again. I do have an issue with religion though. I guess one can be spiritual without being consumed by it
2 Likes
Iām sort of the opposite. God is one thingā¦ a force that keeps the earth spinning around the sun and keeps gravity working. Some call that God, some call it science. I donāt care either way, the earth spins and the sun rises. Personally, Iām all about science. But science proves that we have a long way to go in understanding the universe.
But āreligionā to meā¦ is man made. There is a lot of culture, and region in religion. The Irish Catholic side of my family is SO different from the Spanish Catholic side of my family. But they are both āCatholicā Yet SO different.
I completely stopped having āreligionā when some bible thumpers came into our homeless camp and just beat the pieces out of me and one other homeless chickā¦ in the name of God.
When my ribs finally healed, I decided that God and āreligionā had nothing to do with each other. I can totally get behind the idea of God. I can in no way stand what people do in his name.
My sis tries to say that Adam and Eve were australopithecus. 
1 Like
I guess I am hung up on the name āgodā - many religious people over use the word, and use the name to excuse their humanity/sins. I call my higher power god as well, but you are right to me god or āGodā means that there is a force beyond the scope of humankind - or it is the best of humankind. To me God is all that is awe inspiring - nature is God.
Honesty, children laughing,unconditional love, people helping out others unselfishly are all related to āGodā
3 Likes
That is where you and I are on the same page. Tapping into that universal vibe of kindness and wonder. I believe that is the force of natureā¦ Godā¦ whatever one wants to call itā¦ itās there and can be felt. But canāt be dissected and put on a microscope slide.
I do lean towards science, but I canāt deny that there is an energy in the universe that science hasnāt quite gotten a hold of yet.
3 Likes
I can totally relate to this J
1 Like
Yes!..
Itās interesting that every female tested from all the many parts of the world can be genetically traced back to one particular female or mother.
I wonder how much of the bible and other religious texts is ancient history retold.
1 Like
I pray daily at random moments and am not religious. Iām Christian as in believe and follow Jesus, also have many Native American beliefs and other beliefs that are in harmony with Christ, but am not religious as in attending church or gatherings or doing any rituals or observancesā¦
So go for it! Pray away ā¦ 
5 Likes
Only when someone I know is dying do I think about praying. No words -
I dont prayā¦it never crosses my mind. Im an atheist. But I do say grace with family at meals just to respect their ā ā ā ā . I quit AA because they were christian and im like āJesus was schizophrenicā
Iām not religious either, nor do I profess a belief in god. I donāt think anyone knows if thereās a god or not - or if there is what form (he) might take. In the chance that there is an afterlife +and even if not the person is facing one of the most extreme challenges of his life, I try to send concentrated energy (if it can be sent) to help them.
1 Like
I have often said Jesus would be diagnosed SZ if he were to have come in this modern ageā¦
He talked to God and heard Gods voice.
He talked to the devil and the devil talked to him.
He had a conversation with a demon named legion.
He said he could call upon a bunch of angels to save him from the cross.
He claimed he was the son of God.
He threw a fit in the temple, flipped over tables and drove everyone outā¦involuntary commitment for that one!
Except one thingā¦he rose from the dead and ascended into heavenā¦no one bothered him after he rose from the deadā¦
2 Likes
Jesus never claimed he was the son of God, thatās where the Christians go wrong.
Please donāt talk about the holy Prophets with such disrespect, saying they were schizophrenic. Maybe thatās why they were not sent to the modern world, because people would label them with all kinds of names. But we sorely need another reminder the way we go on in this world nowadaysā¦ I believe that deeds are know by their fruit, Jesus and other prophets brought scripture and that scripture bore good fruit.
Enough of that, I donāt want to throw religion about, but I donāt tolerate disrespect for othersā religions. I thought this thread was about praying, not mocking Jesus or any other prophet.
1 Like
praying or prayer is just another word for what you are saying,
can be thinking of you, wishing you well, get well soon and its all our own ways of saying our own little prayer in our own way.
when i go to my prayer group the people that go there all pray and they say these things while they pray so it is basically the same thing, i havenāt the courage to speak up in there yet though but i still have a lot to say and to pray about.
i think the word āprayā or āprayer, prayingā is a bit kind of taboo now maybe because of its religious connotations.
1 Like
I was not speaking with disrespect towards Jesus. I was actually saying exactly what you said, and in fact posted that a few days ago: That he probably didnāt come into the modern world because people would have labeled him. I did not say he WAS schizophrenic, what I said was todays society would try to diagnose him SZ, but also pointed out he rose from the deadā¦
Son of God claims:
John 10:36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, `I am Godās Sonā?
Mark 14:61-62 But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked him, āAre you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?ā āI am,ā said Jesus
Matthew 16:15-17 āBut what about you?ā he asked. āWho do you say I am?ā Simon Peter answered, āYou are the Christ, the Son of the living God.ā Jesus replied, āBlessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.ā
I prey God and Jesus every dayā¦ in my hart I am not fanatic religious. when I was in a sever situation I prey God to heal me. after that I thought to my self. " if I am going to ask God to heal me during my bad moments" than I should pray during my good moments as well. now I am at my best, improving day by day and praying every day. thatās what I promised to God and I am keeping my promise.
1 Like
I donāt want to go into debates here, but I believe the Son of God title has been misunderstood. It doesnāt mean Jesus is God. He may have said he was a son of God, but he never said he was God Himself. āSon of Godā in Ancient times meant no more than a righteous servant and chosen one Of God Almighty. David was called GODās BEGOTTEN Son in Psalm 2:7, and Satan was called āGod (same word used for Jesus in Greek)ā in 2 Corinthians 4:4. Israel was called GODās first born Son in Exodus 4:22. There are many other examples for GODās Sons in the Bible.
1 Like
I pray a lot. When I get scared I say all the angel names in my head. I prayed when this person was driving my car recklessly. I prayed a bunch of times to save my life. I talk to spiritual forces, and I get advice from above. I recently got the doreen virtue Angel cards.