People pray for health.
People pray for world peace.
People pray for financial success.
People pray for finding a boyfriend.
People pray for success with the chemistry exam.
People pray for having a child.
People pray for a safe journey.
People pray for a lottery win.
People pray that their parents won’t find out about their boyfriend.
People pray that they won’t be pregnant.
People pray that the tumor won’t be cancer.
People pray that their enemies will get cancer.
People pray for their cat to return.
If you believe that any of this helps, why don’t you ever pray for a pizza when you are hungry?
“With extra cheese, please.”
(This article was also published by Medium.)
The Happy Hermit 
You are lampooning those with a primitive view of prayer. Easy target.
It’s probably no coincidence that I wrote this in South America where this primitive view of prayer is quite widespread.
But I have to admit, I don’t understand the other views either or only as religious forms of something non-religious (meditation or positive thinking).
Old joke: A religious man is on top of a roof during a great flood. A man comes by in a boat and says “get in, get in!” The religous man replies, ” no I have faith in God, he will grant me a miracle.”
Later the water is up to his waist and another boat comes by and the guy tells him to get in again. He responds that he has faith in god and god will give him a miracle. With the water at about chest high, another boat comes to rescue him, but he turns down the offer again cause “God will grant him a miracle.”
With the water at chin high, a helicopter throws down a ladder and they tell him to get in, mumbling with the water in his mouth, he again turns down the request for help for the faith of God. He arrives at the gates of heaven with broken faith and says to God, ” I thought You would grant me a miracle and I have been let down.” God chuckles and responds, “I don’t know what you’re complaining about, I sent you three boats and a helicopter.”
Bottom line: Miracles don’t occur regularly or there would be no free will.
Are you familiar with the idea of prayer as expressed by one of the prisoners (Alyosha, IIRC) in One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich? Interesting, but a not commonly-held opinion.
I have to admit I am not. I haven’t even read “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” yet.
But you make me curious!
I am sure people do pray for food in general!
But why do religious people ever go shopping then?
They certainly buy pizzas fr those who can’t afford them!!
If anything is left after building huge churches for millions of $$, maybe.
yes, I was thinking about that last year, I mean, why not?
and I did it !
I enjoyed eating pizza that day.
Can you order one for me, too?
My brother ordered the pizza that day.
but yes, i can order one for you, although it’ll be expensive since i live in Bolivia.
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