In its purest form, prayer is the elevated communication of human beings with their God. Whether in praise, contrition, petition, or thanksgiving, prayer can be expressed in rich, elaborate rituals or in the hushed tones of complete solitude. It can also provide individuals with a vital means to cultivate a deeper understanding of themselves and those around them. Like grains of sand, however, no two individuals pray or perceive God exactly alike. Even men and women who have joined one another in religious communities over many years, worshipping at the same hours of the day, in the same manner, and under the same doctrines and traditions, recognize that there exist different understandings brought about by individual experience. In short, the act of prayer is a personal, transcendent force in the lives of men and women.
One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America by James P. Moore, Jr. Doubleday, 2005. p.xv
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