SALT LAKE CITY — Though different religions have different conventions when it comes to prayer, the reasons for praying are strikingly similar. In interviews with local church leaders, most cited strengthening relationships with God as the main purpose of prayer. In advance of the National Day of Prayer on May 5, here are perspectives on prayer from eight different religions.
Catholic
“You could say that each person prays in their own way,” said the Rev. Martin Diaz, a Catholic priest at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in downtown Salt Lake.
He noted that there are many ways to pray. For the Catholics, these can include contemplative prayer, meditative prayer, vocal prayer and prewritten prayers, such as the Lord’s Prayer or other verses of scripture.
Prayers are answered whenever we come to better understand God’s will, the Rev. Diaz said.
“God is a supreme being, and to know God more fully and more deeply is a great advantage.”
Islamic
For Muslims, the word “prayer” usually indicates the mandatory prayer rituals that take place five times a day, according to Imam Shuaib Din of the Utah Islamic Center. These prayers coordinate with the sunrise and sunset and can be performed individually or with others.
In additional to the five ritual prayers, Muslims can pray anywhere and anytime.
According to Imam Shuaib, there are many ways to know if a prayer has been accepted by God. For instance, if God gives what was requested or if he repels evil that would have otherwise befallen the one saying the prayer, the prayer is considered to be answered.
“The most important aspect is that it shows humility. It shows servitude. It’s a servant humbling himself before God to ask and beg for his needs,” Imam Shuaib said. “Not praying is a sign of arrogance. It says, ‘I don’t need God in my life. I can take care of myself.’ He makes the ultimate decisions. So when we pray, we are ultimately saying it’s in (his) hands.”
Pentecostal
Pentecostals believe God hears and answers each and every prayer, according to the Rev. Ronald Rice of the Pentecostals of Salt Lake City.
One thing that sets their prayers apart, though, is the opportunity to pray aloud together as a congregation.
“We can pray for our individual needs at the same time as we pray for those around us,” the Rev. Rice said. “We can better meet the needs of the congregation when all of us pray together. We certainly pray individually, as well.”
The Rev. Rice considers prayer to be a “lifeline” to God, and a two-way street.
“You don’t have to pray in King James English. The Lord knows us, he understands us, and if you want to pray, just talk to the Lord the way you talk to a friend,” the Rev. Rice said. “Don’t worry about the words; just speak to him from your heart.”
Buddhist
Buddhists differs from Christians substantially when it comes to prayer, according to Jodo Shinshu Buddhist Reverend Jerry Hirano, in that they do not pray to God or expect to receive answers from him.
Their prayers are more of aspirations or hopes, the Rev. Hirano said.
“Answers come by how we live our lives. For example, when we hold the Sunday service at my temple, we all recite a portion of the Metta Sutra. This is an aspiration, ‘May all beings be happy,’” the Rev. Hirano said. “When I begin the chanting of sutras, I chant what is called ‘San Bu Jou’ (three respectful callings). This is calling on the Buddha Amida, the Buddha Shakyamuni, the Buddhas of the 10 quarters to join us. This is to call upon the spirit of wisdom and compassion to join us, to inspire us. Therefore, these prayers are answered in how we respond in our daily lives.”
These chantings remind the Rev. Hirano, and other Buddhists, that personal happiness is dependent on the happiness of others.
Jewish
Like many of the above examples, traditional Judaism draws a distinction between fixed prayer and spontaneous prayer, according to Maeera Yaffa Shrieber.
Shrieber, chairwoman of Cross Cultural Jewish Studies at the University of Utah and a practicing Jew, said these fixed prayers take place three times each day and help keep the prayer on track and the conversation going.
“Within that, you hope to find words that are urgent and come from within yourself,” she said.
Shrieber distinguishes Jewish prayer from other prayer traditions by its focus on the collective over the individual. This offers opportunity for connection, both to the community and to God.
“I personally don’t think of things such as, ‘I wish I won the lottery,’ ‘I wish I got that promotion,’” she said. “It’s much more of a kind of strength one gets from being in a relationship with God.”
Presbyterian
The Presbyterian Church has a publication titled “Book of Common Worship,” which is commonly used for scripted prayers, though individuals are encouraged to use the Bible, hymnals and personal words to pray as well, according to the Rev. Mike Imperiale of the First Presbyterian Church in Salt Lake City.
“Prayer is important for two reasons: One is that life is complicated; it has its ups and downs. Prayer helps us process and cope with things that are happening in our lives,” the Rev. Imperiale said. “The other thing is that God wants to hear our prayers and he wants to respond to our prayers. People often say they believe in ‘the power of prayer.’ I don’t know if I believe in the power of prayer, but I believe in the power of God. Prayer is a way of noticing that God is present.”
He also said God usually answers with “yes,” “no” or “not yet.”
“If you’re praying and nothing is happening, God is probably saying this is not what you need at this particular point, and the answer might come later,” he said.
Hindu
Prayer is less structured for Hindus, who often conduct worship in home shrines, according to Priest Satish Kumar of the Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah.
“We also go to the temple and we worship there with rituals,” he said. “Sometimes it is with prayer, sometimes it is through offerings. There are many different ways to worship.”
According to the Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, these rituals are performed for a number of deities that oversee the cosmos. Some of these rituals, which are analogous to Christian prayer, include “darśana,” or looking on a holy image, and “bhakti,” which is devotion. Hinduism is a philosophy without a unified system of belief.
“One who prays is going to fill his heart with love,” Priest Kumar said. “If a troublemaker starts praying, he will become a purer person.”
LDS Church
Warren Curtis, who has served as a bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, prays for guidance and direction from a loving Father in heaven.
“Answers come in many different forms. Sometimes, you don’t always recognize that you’ve received an answer,” he said. “They come in forms of anything from events that happen during the day to other people serving you or you serving them. Sometimes you have a feeling or maybe even hear a voice, or sometimes it’s something that you’re reading in the scriptures.”
These prayers typically are offered in the morning, at night before retiring to bed, at mealtimes and when one in need of solace, Curtis said.
According to the gospel topics page on prayer on lds.org, prayer is for everyone and can be conducted individually, in families or in public settings. Prayers should express love and respect; in a language such as English, pronouns such as "thee," "thou" and "thine" are one way of setting a respectful tone. All prayers should be directed to Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ's name.
According to a prayer essay on lds.org, "If we have a difficult task before us, Heavenly Father is pleased when we get on our knees and ask for help and then get on our feet and go to work. He will help us in all our righteous pursuits, but he seldom will do something for us that we can do ourselves."
Curtis has noticed the impact of prayer on his life more each year.
“It’s an opportunity to thank him for the things that you know he does in your life,” he said. “It gives you comfort to know that he is able to help us with our issues."
If you go …
Here are several local National Day of Prayer events on Thursday, May 5. For more information, see nationaldayofprayer.org.
• National Day of Prayer Leadership Breakfast, 7:30-9:30 a.m., Red Lion Hotel, 161 W. 600 South, Salt Lake City. Price per ticket is $30, or a table for eight can be sponsored for $240. Register by May 4 at info@standingtogether.org.
• National Day of Prayer Breakfast with the Rev. Chuck Beickel of Faith Baptist Church, 8-10 a.m., Calvary Chapel, 460 W. Century Drive, Salt Lake City.
• Prayer for America at the Capitol, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Utah State Capitol Building Rotunda, 350 N. State, Salt Lake City.
• Ogden National Day of Prayer, noon-1 p.m., Ogden Municipal Building, 2549 Washington Blvd., Ogden.
• National Day of Prayer with the Utah County Evangelical Christians, 7-8 p.m., Historic Utah County Courthouse, 51 S. University Ave., Provo.
Email: scobb@deseretnews.com