A prayer is, according to The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, "a solemn request to God or an object of worship; a supplication, thanksgiving, or other verbal or mental act addressed to God." Petitionary prayers - messages seeking help or guidance for particular concerns - are common among Christians. They are also a feature of some other religions, such as Islam (Bouquet 1956) and Judaism where prayers expressing devotion and submission to almighty God prevail. But even these are intended communions with God. Although prayers are addressed to a supernatural being, prayer is an empirical behavior and thus accessible to scientific investigation.
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