Prayer can take a variety of forms: it can be part of a set liturgy. or ritual, and it can be performed alone or in groups. Prayer may take the form of a hymn , incantation, formal statement, or a spontaneous utterance in the praying person.
The act of prayer is attested in written sources as early as 5000 years ago. Today, most major involve prayer in one way or another; some ritualize the act, requiring a strict sequence of actions or placing a restriction on who is permitted to pray, while others teach that prayer may be practised spontaneously by anyone at any time.
Scientific studies regarding the use of prayer have mostly concentrated on its effect on the healing of sick or injured people. The dfficy of prayers in fath healing has been evaluated in numerous studies, with contradictory results.