Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate
a rapport with a deity, an object of worship, or a
spiritual entity through deliberate communication.
Prayer can be a form of religious practice, may be
either individual or communal and take place in
public or in private. It may involve the use of words
or song. When language is used, prayer may take
the form of a hymn, incantation, formal creed, or a
spontaneous utterance in the praying person. There
are different forms of prayer such as petitionary
prayer, prayers of supplication, thanksgiving, and
worship/praise. Prayer may be directed towards a
deity, spirit, deceased person, or lofty idea, for the
purpose of worshipping, requesting guidance,
requesting assistance, confessing sins or to express
one's thoughts and emotions. Thus, people pray for
many reasons such as personal benefit or for the
sake of others. Yoga is also a common form of
prayer.
Most major religions involve prayer in one way or
another. Some ritualize the act of prayer, requiring a
strict sequence of actions or placing a restriction on
who is permitted to pray, while others teach that
prayer may be practiced spontaneously by anyone
at any time.
Scientific studies regarding the use of prayer have
mostly concentrated on its effect on the healing of
sick or injured people. Meta-studies of the studies in
this field have been performed showing evidence
only for no effect or a potentially small effect. For
instance, a 2006 meta analysis on 14 studies
concluded that there is "no discernable effect" while
a 2007 systemic review of intercessory prayer
reported inconclusive results, noting that 7 of 17
studies had "small, but significant, effect sizes" but
the review noted that the most methodologically
rigorous studies failed to produce significant
findings.[1][2] Some studies have indicated
increased medical complications in groups receiving
prayer over those without.[3][4][5] The efficacy of
petition in prayer for physical healing to a deity has
been evaluated in numerous other studies, with
contradictory results.[6][7][8][9] There has been
some criticism of the way the studies were
conducted.[3][10]
Forms of prayer
Christians at
prayer
Muslim men
prostrating during
prayer in a
mosque.
Various spiritual traditions offer a wide variety of
devotional acts. There are morning and evening
prayers, graces said over meals, and reverent
physical gestures. Some Christians bow their heads
and fold their hands. Some Native Americans regard
dancing as a form of prayer.[11] Some Sufis whirl.
[12] Hindus chant mantras.[13] Jewish prayer may
involve swaying back and forth and bowing.[14]
Muslims practice salat (kneeling and prostration) in
their prayers. Quakers keep silent.[15] Some pray
according to standardized rituals and liturgies, while
others prefer extemporaneous prayers. Still others
combine the two.
These methods show a variety of understandings to
prayer, which are led by underlying beliefs.
These beliefs may be that
the finite can communicate with the infinite
the infinite is interested in communicating with
the finite
prayer is intended to inculcate certain attitudes in
the one who prays, rather than to influence the
recipient
prayer is intended to train a person to focus on the
recipient through philosophy and intellectual
contemplation
prayer is intended to enable a person to gain a
direct experience of the recipient
prayer is intended to affect the very fabric of
reality as we perceive it
prayer is a catalyst for change in oneself and/or
one's circumstances, or likewise those of third party
beneficiaries
the recipient desires and appreciates prayer
or any combination of these.[citation needed]
The act of prayer is attested in written sources as
early as 5000 years ago.[16] Some anthropologists,
such as Sir Edward Burnett Tylor and Sir James
George Frazer, believed that the earliest intelligent
modern humans practiced something that we would
recognize today as prayer.[17]
Friedrich Heiler is often cited in Christian circles for
his systematic Typology of Prayer which lists six
types of prayer: primitive, ritual, Greek cultural,
philosophical, mystical, and prophetic.[18]

Good info

Amen