This whole prayer thing. I don't understand it.

Let's take as given that there's an all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful Supreme Being known as "God". Why is there need for prayer?

Your aunt is sick and dying. You, your family, and several friends pray for your aunt to get better. Is this going to change anything? God already knows that your aunt is going to die. He sees that she's there, in bed, and she's going to die. He could change this, but he knows that all living things die and it's your aunt's turn. So why is everyone praying?

Are they trying to let God know that 32 people don't want your aunt to die? He knows this. Are they trying to get God to change what is going to happen?

They are? Then doesn't that mean that the people who pray are the ones who will (or could) get things done? That if I -- and all my family and all my friends -- gather around my dying aunt, wailing in anguish, nothing will happen even if all of us have been extremely good as God deems "extremely good" to be. But if we all pray, if enough of us cast a celestial ballot to change the course of events, something will change? Is God a democracy?

Or is God so stubborn that he won't do anything good (like not let your aunt die) unless someone prays to him? Is God a dog that only responds to treats?

Is there any point to prayer aside from making the prayee feel like he or she is doing something?

-Faux "Wow! Not only did I join a religious discussion, I started one!" Pas