prayer
n. communication (voiced or contemplative) with a deity or other such entity, generally for the purposes of praise, thanksgiving, supplication, or self-examination or to seek forgiveness, guidance, or serenity. The behavior has been studied periodically at least since William James (see psychology of religion), with varied results. For instance, researchers and practitioners have noted, on the one hand, that prayer can be used as a defense or escape from the exploration of painful issues and as a form of magical thinking and, on the other hand, that it can be both cognitively meaningful and therapeutically beneficial in some conditions for those with specific religious beliefs or spirituality. Much work has been done, since the late 1970s, by a growing body of researchers to integrate religious values and practices with psychotherapy. In appropriate circumstances, prayer may be explicitly used by some therapists as a component
of intervention and treatment. The therapist and client may pray individually or together for such goals as personal or interpersonal healing, forgiveness, and the ability to examine problems freely and with discernment.