Editing Prayer (section)

===Rationalist approach===
In this view, the ultimate goal of prayer is to help train a person to focus on divinity through philosophy and intellectual contemplation ([[meditation]]). This approach was taken by the Jewish scholar and philosopher [[Maimonides]]<ref>[[The Guide for the Perplexed|Guide to the Perplexed]] 3:51</ref> and the other medieval rationalists.<ref>''[[Sefer ha-Ikkarim]]'' 4:18</ref> It became popular in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic intellectual circles, but never became the most popular understanding of prayer among the laity in any of these faiths.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kuhn |first=Alvin Boyd |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gZWingEACAAJ |title=Prayer and Healing: A Rational Exegesis |date=2013 |publisher=Literary Licensing, LLC |isbn=978-1-258-90445-6 |language=en}}</ref>

In a rationalist approach, praying encompasses three aspects. First, '[[logos]]', as the "idea" of the sender, secondly '[[rhema]]ta' as the words to express the idea, and thirdly 'rhemata' and 'logos', to where the idea is sent (e.g. to God, [[Allah]]). Thus praying is not a conversation with God, or Jesus but a one-way direction to the divine.<ref>Reeves R. (JUNE 11, 2015) [https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2015/june-web-only/no-prayer-isnt-really-conversation.html "No, Prayer Isn't Really a Conversation"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230410041528/https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2015/june-web-only/no-prayer-isnt-really-conversation.html |date=2023-04-10 }} ''Christianity Today''. Accessed 9 April 2023.</ref> Among the [[Abrahamic religions]], [[Islam]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christianity]] and [[Hasidic Judaism]] are likely most adhering to this concept, also because it does not allow secondary mythologies, and has taken its spiritual roots from [[Hellenistic philosophy]], particularly from [[Aristotle]].<ref>Ulfat Aziz-Us-Samad (2003). Islam & Christianity. ''islambasics''. Accessed 9 April 2023.</ref>

Similarly in [[Hinduism]], the different divinities are manifestations of one God with associated prayers. However, many Indians – particularly Hindus – believe that God can be manifest in people, including in people of lower castes, such as [[Sadhu]]s.<ref>[https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2021/06/29/beliefs-about-god-in-india/ "Religion in India: Tolerance and Segregation"] ''Pew Research Center''. Accessed 9 April 2023.</ref>