Boleo

Heard a guy give a talk. He told his sponsor he did not believe in God. His sponsor gave him a prayer to say. Next day his sponsor asks him if he said the prayer. He tells his sponsor "I told you yesterday that I did not believe in God".
His sponsor replies "I did not ask you if you believe in God. I asked you if you said the prayer?"

This begs some questions;

1. Is it necessary to believe in anything to say a prayer?

2. Is it important to address the prayer to anyone, anything or anywhere in particular?

3. Does judgement of any kind help or hinder prayer?

For one, even a robot can recite a prayer. It may not have meaning but that draws #3 into the equation.

Second. If there is an omniscient force in the Universe. Is it too dumb to figure out who or what you are addressing with your prayer?

And third. There are Eastern religions and philosophy's based on the idea that all forms of judgement, both good and bad, hinder any spiritual development.

If I were going to compose a secular prayer. I would use a generic format designed to trigger the kind of Spiritual Experience that was talked about in William James's book "The Varieties Of Religious Experience".

• A - It would start off with an admission of pain, weakness or wrong behavior.
  
• B - It would include some type of surrender of knowledge, strength or judgement.
  
• C - It would end with an appeal for help. It would not need to indicate who or what might be expected to provide that help.

Boleo

Example:

When I was younger, so much younger than today
I never needed anybody's help in any way
But now these days are gone I'm not so self assured
Now I find I've changed my mind, I've opened up the doors

Help me if you can I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please please help me?

And now my life has changed in oh so many ways
My independence seems to vanish in the haze
But every now and then I feel so insecure
I know that I just need you like I've never done before

Help me if you can I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please please help me?

soberhawk

There are a lot of “prayers” in Buddhism that are not directed towards a higher being but towards changing your state of mind. I can not see any problems in people using prayers to change their state of mind and finding faith in life without believing in a religious sense.

If it is helping them.

Zencat

I have modified a St. Ignatius payer. It was easier than making a secular payer of my own. Anywho, I have a homemade version (pill bottle with a pencil through it) of a handheld Tibetan Prayer Wheel where I have put printout prayers in it, then I spin it. IDK, but spinning the wheel dose have a calming effect on me.

*Great understanding of a HP to have, thanks to other SR members.
#Captin Jean-Luc Picard of Star Trek.

breath

I don't know who my higher power is, I just know I have one

If you don't have a higher power, just pretend for awhile that you do, you'll be amazed at what happens

Don't over-think spirituality...KISS...Keep Spirituality Simple

CousinA

Me too! It tool a while and a lot of practice for me to learn that it doesn't matter if anyone or anything else is listening as long as I am.