I'm a believer in prayer but find myself asking would the consequences be any different if I didn't pray or found another means of reaching the state of mind that prayer gives.

I had a friend recently who as a first time offender found himself doing a stretch at Her Majesty's Pleasure. At the time I said there is nothing I can do but pray for him as my way of asking the higher force to look after him. When my friend finished his prison sentence he came out saying being inside was like living in a cheap hotel. It raised the question of whether he realised how many people were actually praying for him.

Similarly another friend of mine was in a critical condition after a car accident. A while after he pulled through I met his older brother who used to be one of my youth leaders in youth club. i was telling him how I prayed for his younger brother to pull through and he couldn't stop thanking me and said he only pulled through because of the power of prayer.

An uncle of mine who was a priest had a stroke and eventually died but after the strokehe told me how he used to pray begging God not to make the devil laugh at him (God) like this bykilling one of his disciples.

I have other friends who pray when taking plane flights and long car journeys. A thread I remember from the old Blacknet was praying and blessing the food before eating. What's all that about, surely evidence of the biggest brainwash since time began? when people close their eyes to pray to the Christian God, I'm sure in the darkness most see the blonde haired blue eyed image of jesus. How much does things like thislead to black people having an inferiority complex to white people for example a talented or gifted black person is likely to believe they have been blessed by God while a talented or gifted white person is likely to believe it's proof that they areGod.

Now I believe you pray for guidance and other people as opposed to specific personal gains...in fact I would have 'accepted' any outcome i.e my friend coming off the worse for wear after his stint in prison ormy car crash victim paldying as just that, sodo you believe prayer actually influences or simply puts your state of mind in a comfort zone, something reachable by other forms of meditation or by simply having a positive mental attitude.