Reader's digest recently did an online worldwide poll on prayer. According to the poll, 55% of people in the United States say they pray daily. Another 35% say they pray sometimes. 9% say they never pray. At the extremes, Malaysia had 76% who prayed daily, and the Czech Republic had 65% who never pray.
As polls go, this isn't a very scientifically accurate one, but it is interesting to see how much it varies country to country. I was also surprised that a majority of people in the United States say they pray daily.
I am a part of that majority. I pray multiple times a day, privately, with my family, and together with my wife. My purpose in praying is to communicate with my Father in Heaven. To express gratitude for the many blessings I've received, to ask for His protection and guidance, and to share my hopes, frustrations and concerns. I must admit that the sincerity and "quality" of my prayers can vary quite a bit. There are times when I don't say anything very meaningful and times when I struggle to stay awake while I pray. But there are also time when my prayers have been very meaningful and very helpful.
Because of some special circumstances, I prayed before I began dating my wife. I prayed again before I asked her to marry me. I wanted confirmation from my Heavenly Father whether I had made a good decision or not. Since I received that confirmation, it has made it very easy to stay committed to our marriage and to have a strong desire to nurture it. Today is our 20th anniversary. I'm very glad for the help I received through prayer to make that big decision and have the 20 happy years that we have had.
I have had many other experiences with prayer and have felt Heavenly Father's love and concern for me, my family, and many other people. He really does exist, and miraculously, he cares about us and listens to us. He wants to help us and see us be successful. Of course, being a perfect Father he still allows us to have challenges, to make mistakes, and to learn and grow. I'm thankful for a Father in Heaven, and the chance to communicate with him whenever I'd like through prayer.
2 Nephi 32:9
