Prayer is the common denominator of all religions. This one fact provides more hope than most realize. Why? There are so many questions related to religion, hosting, and so many people are confused about who is telling the truth. Yet, regardless of the disharmony reported in the news and what not, there is one fact that remains constant in every country and every religion.
Prayer is the common denominator that unites religions around the world. Regardless of the differences between the main denominations, the one major similarity is none other than prayer.
Prayer, a request from a higher source, is based on faith. Billions of people pray every day. People from different religions, with different beliefs, from different backgrounds and from different countries.
Is there anything to be said for a ritual revered by almost every religion known to mankind?
What is it about this one belief that is spreading around the world? The fact that we can strongly disagree with each other's religion and still have prayer as the common denominator at the end of the day means that there is hope for peace between denominations. Prayer is the glue that holds all religions together.
Major religions of the world
The top five denominations in the world are Christianity, Islam, secular (non-religious) Hinduism and Buddhism. Each of these religions or groups includes prayer, except the secular. Yet in any part of the world you can find scientists who hope that the God particle can be proven by science.
There are approximately 2.1 billion Christians, 1.6 billion Muslims, 1.1 billion non-believers, and 376 million Buddhists. The total world population is estimated at 7 billion. The remaining religions, including African traditional religions, Sikhism, Judaism, Spiritualism, Baha i to name a few, claim the remaining number of people on earth.
Based on these statistics, it is safe to say that over 87% of people in the world believe in some form of prayer. Christianity is by far the largest religious group in the world. Christian Catholics are the only denomination that has its own country.
How different religions pray
Different ways of praying vary according to the different religions practiced around the world.
For example, Christians usually kneel, bow their heads and join their hands. Muslims kneel to the ground and let their forehead touch the ground on a supported prayer mat. Some religions sing, while other religions are silent. Jews pray and sway their bodies back and forth. Native Americans use dance as a form of prayer.
Christians pray to God the Father or Jesus, while Muslims pray to God/Allah. Catholics ask Saints for prayers and talk to them as if they were another person. Catholics do not pray to the Saints, but ask the Saints to pray for them. Jews pray to God/Ado n i j ah. Hindus believe in one God, Brahma.
Regardless of religion, each group prays to a higher source and must believe, according to their faith, that their prayers will be answered. Prayer is the common denominator that unites us all. From the theory of big banks (non-religious believers) to the major world religions, hope lives on.
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