There are many religious practices that have been around since the first coming of humans. Over time, they may have taken different forms as people divided into different civilizations and formed different cultures, but the basic practice remains the same. One of the many practices that David A. Carter brings to question in his book, Our Mysterious Lives, is the act of prayer.
Carter, in his book, discusses different concepts that have a significant impact on the human race. Whether they were historic events, revolutionary inventions, or practices that were passed down from one generation to the next as legacies and traditions. He discusses it all in hopes of understanding human existence and the universe’s mysteries themselves.
Prayer is an act that is assumed to open a communication channel between a person and their God. More so, the idea that prayers can change a person’s destiny has been something that people have believed in since the early days. But this concept does not have any scientific or logical background or reasoning behind it. Most people believe prayers to be a doorway to miracles, through which they can ask God anything of value.
But our human minds will always be limited in the capacity of what we want to attain in life. And for that, we only ever see people making prayers for things that are comprehensible for us to have. One would ask for things such as health, riches, and good grades, among others, but not for what truly has been lost. People don’t pray for a dead person to come back or to be able to get the limbs back that they have lost. Because people know these are things that are impossible to regain.
All this is because, in our unconscious minds, we know that prayer is a practice that we only perform to bring hope to our bleak lives. Amongst the war and the declining state of our society, many believe that praying to a higher being that they believe may exist would solve the crisis that arises, whether personal or global.
Though the act of prayer is in itself different for every person, despite the similarities or differences in religion and beliefs. Prayers are part of many different traditions that are performed on different occasions, for joy and tragedy. Some prefer the sacredness of a verbal prayer that takes specific steps. With deeds and worldly-priced possessions as their offerings, some believe prayer to be an act of transaction, an equal trade.
While many consider prayer to be a routine activity that they can perform anytime of the day. Simply holding conversations with God to make an active effort to involve Him in his or her lives.
Our Mysterious Lives explores these topics in their vastness with a neutral and logical lens that makes it easier for even a layman to understand such concepts and, evidently, their lives. The book is now available on Amazon and on the official website.