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Prayer studies have shown time and time again that prayer doesn't make a difference. For example, people going into hospital for surgeries don't have an improved chance of recovery just because people pray for them.
Now, if you believe in prayer, that's fine. I'm not here to convince you that you should stop. However, since praying (even from the point of view religious people) is really 50/50 since they take the approach of if it works, great God is wonderful and if it doesn't work then it's because God works in mysterious ways.
So when there has just been a crisis or tragedy or natural disaster or terrorist attack or whatever, people pray. Who does it really help? Doesn't praying benefit the person who is praying more than anyone else? They feel like they've prayed, they feel like they've taken action to help, they feel like any form of relief or positivity that happens from that point forward is ultimately related to their act of praying.
So, can praying actually be viewed as an act of self-comfort and ultimately as selfish rather than being altruistic?

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