what we pray

Most prayer writers see God as providing strength and support rather than explicit answers to life's difficult questions.

When they make requests, prayer writers are pragmatic, framing their requests broadly so they can most likely see them answered. For example, rather than asking God to cure a disease, a request that may be unlikely to be granted, they ask for strength to get through a difficult time. Rather than asking God for particular news at a doctor's visit, one writer requests that the Lord "remember M ... as we go to see his doctors today. Remember him in prayer and bless him always." This request can be met regardless of what happens in the doctor's office; the supplicant will not be disappointed.

These prayers are snippets of intimate, often hopeful, conversations people have with God. Whether they are thanking God for good outcomes or making desperate requests, people are focused on what really matters in their lives: not fame or fortune, but being good, making the right decisions, and taking care of themselves and the people they love.

Much as the woman above never asked God what to do about her pregnancy, most prayer writers see God as providing strength and support rather than explicit answers to life's difficult questions. Prayer writers are hopeful that better times are possible - not because God will create them, but because God gives us the strength and guidance to create them ourselves.

Wendy Cadge is an assistant professor of sociology at Brandeis University and a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard. She is writing a book about religion and spirituality in hospitals. Her e-mail is [e-mail].