On the narcissism of prayer…

5: 2 The obvious example of this narcissism is self-centered prayer. For example, praying for wealth, success, or fame.

5: 3 Some prayers border on ridiculous, like praying for sports teams or thanking God for winning a game or an award. 5: 4 But what I’m talking about is the wholly self-aggrandizing concept of thinking you are so important that God, the creator of everything, all-knowing, infinitely powerful, is listening to you about anything—much less granting favors to you over everyone else.

5: 5 Praying on behalf of someone else is undoubtedly a selfless gesture, and I would not think of saying these prayers are selfish. However, the act of simply thinking about someone’s misfortune and mumbling a few words about them is hardly a sacrifice or hardship.  5: 6 Additionally, I have questions about groups of people praying for the same thing. When a congregation is asked to pray for someone or something, does it mean God considers how many are asking? 5: 7 Does prayer have any effect on the outcomes? Could it be likened to a game of tug of war, where if enough people put in the effort, they could sway the results of wars and gain God’s favor over others? 5: 8 Or is prayer exclusively for the individual or group that is praying? Giving them peace of mind, strength, and hope, I will add that this, too, is selfishness.

5: 9 I am not against prayer, but a critical examination of why people pray and what they expect from worship is a valid question. If the answer to these questions is self-gain, then the prayer is purely selfish. 5: 10 Additionally, if worship is done to honor and revere God but with an ulterior motive, for example, getting into Heaven, this is also narcissistic.