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Definition: prayer from Philip's Encyclopedia

Act of thanking, adoring, conferring with or petitioning a divine power; also the form of words used for this purpose. Many religions have set forms for praying. Muslims recite prayers while facing in the direction of Mecca. In Christianity, the Roman Catholic missal contains regulated customary prayers. The Book of Common Prayer plays the same role in the Anglican Communion. Prayer can also be the private devotional act of an individual using his or her own words.


prayer

From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Address to divine power, ranging from a ritual formula to attain a desired end, to selfless communication in meditation. Within Christianity, the Catholic and Orthodox churches sanction prayer to the Virgin Mary, angels, and saints as intercessors, whereas Protestantism limits prayer to God alone. Hindu prayer may be addressed to any god or to the supreme godhead. It often includes chanting the scriptures in Sanskrit, and the sacred sound ‘Om’ or ‘Aum’. In Judaism, there are traditional prayers related to many everyday tasks or situations, and congregational prayers are said at the synagogue every day. It is the duty of every adult male Jew to attend these if possible and help form part of the minyan , or quorum of ten, which is necessary for congregational prayers. Sikhs repeat morning and evening prayers taken from the Guru Granth Sahib . Muslims are required to pray five times a day ( salat ). Prayer in some religions is devoted almost entirely to the securing of material benefits, …
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From Book of Bible Quotations
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him , and saved him out of all his troubles. Psalm 34:6 KJV And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out? And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting. Mark…
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Full text Article Prayer

From World of Sociology, Gale
Prayer is the spiritual action directed toward a...
Prayer is the spiritual action directed toward a divine influence (defined by various religions as God, Allah, Yahweh, etc.) by which the one who prays seeks an inward or outward response. The act of prayer has existed since the beginning of recorded history. Throughout history, prayer has been used…
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From Chambers Dictionary of the Unexplained
A personal form of communication with a deity or spiritual power, especially in the form of supplication, adoration, praise, contrition or thanksgiving; also a specific form of words used when praying. The word ‘prayer’ comes from the Latin precare , meaning ‘to beg or entreat’, and refers to a…
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From Global Dictionary of Theology
Prayer is a common yet mysterious phenomenon. Widely regarded as both a universal and a spiritual language, prayer is something every person intuitively understands, a common act we all exercise. It is universal in that it serves as an expression of who we are as human beings, practiced by adherents…
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From Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology
Prayer is a religious practice that Christians share with many other people. The human cry to the divine for help amid need and the human laud of the divine because of help received are found everywhere, formally organized in religions , intimately experienced by human beings who have little…
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From The SAGE Encyclopedia of the Sociology of Religion
Prayer is a verbal and nonverbal way for humans to communicate with the transcendent. It is also a religious and spiritual practice, which is embedded in religious rites, exercised collectively or individually. Following the professed system of beliefs, a person could pray to gods, spirits, …
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From Encyclopedia of Jewish Folklore and Traditions
Prayer book. Venice, 1772. (Réunion des Musées...
Although the siddur, the compilation of Hebrew prayers, is second only to the Bible in terms of its importance in Jewish culture and history, the beginnings of Jewish prayer are one of the highly obscure issues and unsolvable riddles in Jewish cultural history. Actually, the siddur is a credible and…
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From Encyclopedia of Ancient Christianity
I. The first three c. - II. The East: 4th and 5th c. - III. The Latin West and the 4th and 5th c. Prayer is an integral part of every religion. It is its heart and soul. Christianity rejected neither the terminology nor the gestures of * pagan prayer, but expressed systematic reservation with regard…
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From The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide
Address to divine power, ranging from a ritual formula to attain a desired end, to selfless communication in meditation. Within Christianity, the Catholic and Orthodox churches sanction prayer to the Virgin Mary, angels, and saints as intercessors, whereas Protestantism limits prayer to God alone. …
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Full text Article prayer

From The Oxford Companion to Classical Civilization
Prayer was the most common form of expression in ancient religion. It could be formal or informal and was often accompanied by other acts of worship, e.g. *sacrifice or vow (the Greek word euchē meant both prayer and vow). The earliest instance of an independent formal prayer, namely the prayer of…
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