Why Pray? Theological and Empirical Perspectives on a Universal Human Practice

Prayer carries a unique epistemological and anthropological space at the center of theology, philosophy, and diverse social sciences. Throughout civilizations and traditions—from Abrahamic faiths to Dharmic systems—prayer has remained a universal mode of vital human expression, highlighting a consistent impulse toward transcendence. This paper examines the phenomenon of prayer as an expression that extends beyond devotional practice. Prayer can be seen as an intricate cultural artifact with theological, historical, psychological, and even biomedical impact. With references to a range of scriptures, such as the Lord’s Prayer in Christianity, the Shema in Judaism, and the Salah in Islam, with additional references to cross-cultural analogues in Quaker, Hindu, and other cultures and religions, this paper aims to examine prayer’s structural commonalities and divergences in functionality. The research includes insights from theologians, such as C.S. Lewis, Martin Buber, and Timothy Keller, paired with empirical studies in order to highlight both subjective and discrete results of prayer. By examining Bertrand Russell’s scientistic dismissal of prayer, this paper argues that prayer’s significance cannot be minimized to empirical efficacy; instead, it resides in its core ability to cultivate relationality, humility, and existential orientation toward transcendence. From a larger perspective, the paper argues that prayer’s relevance across temporal, cultural, and ideological boundaries illustrates a universal human need for connection with the transcendent—a necessity that contradicts the reduction to materialist frameworks.