Gebet

Gebet is the act of addressing a deity or higher power through spoken or contemplative words, gestures, or silence. In many languages, the term denotes both the practice itself and the communal gatherings in which it is performed. While the concept is most often associated with monotheistic traditions, prayer appears in a wide range of religious and cultural contexts, as well as in secular life as a form of reflection.

Prayers can be personal or communal, oral or silent, formal or spontaneous. Many traditions distinguish between praise, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication, sometimes summarized as ACTS. Ritual prayers may be recited from fixed texts, while others are improvised or meditative. Settings vary from quiet individual rooms to church services, mosques, temples, and synagogues, as well as private moments in daily life.

Across major religions, prayer serves multiple functions: communication with the divine, enactment of devotion, moral guidance, and coping with suffering. In Christianity, prayers may be directed to God the Father or Jesus, and may include liturgical prayers and personal requests. In Islam, the five daily Salat is a prescribed ritual with specific postures and Qur'anic recitations. In Judaism, daily prayers include fixed liturgies and blessings. In Hinduism and Buddhism, prayer often involves mantras and devotional practices or meditative concentration.

In secular contexts, prayer is sometimes used as a term for reflective or aspirational thinking, or as a cultural rite without explicit doctrine. Scholarly study examines prayer’s social functions, psychological effects, and the ways it shapes belief, community life, and ethical conduct. The practice remains diverse, with no single universal form or doctrine governing all uses of the term Gebet.