“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.”
— Søren Kierkegaard
Istra of Glomex.com“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” — Søren Kierkegaard
The recovery community practices something called the Serenity Prayer: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Stephen Hanselman • The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Prayer, both ecclesial and personal prayer, thus ranks higher than all action, not in the first place as a source of psychological energy (“refueling,” as they say today), but as the act of worship and glorification that befits love,
James K. A. Smith • You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit
We ask not to change God but to change ourselves. We pray to form a living relationship, not to get things done. Prayer is a symbiotic relationship with life and with God, a synergy which creates a result larger than the exchange itself.
Richard Rohr • Breathing Under Water : Spirituality and the Twelve Steps
Prayer is, then, the natural response of people who know their place in the universe. It is not designed to be a psychological comfort zone though surely comfort it must. And lastly, it is an act of community and an act of awareness.