Since I was a teenager and had taken biology, physiology, and chemistry, I have seen a connection between the microscopic and the macroscopic. I wondered if we were not molecules within a higher being. I think deeply about the meaning of life. I believe we evolve personally via experience, karma, and reincarnation. I am loathed to cast spells because I believe I need to resolve my own Karma. I am responsible to resolve my own shortcomings. I can ask for help, I can ask help for the world, but to ask for personal reward is not something I can do. This is my own personal philosophy and is not a judgment on anyone else. Protection, relief from stress, and goodness for others are to be reached. I joined a prayer chain and discovered I could not ask for anything. How would I know what the earth needed to heal? How did I know what mankind needed to change the behavior of humanity? I could only ask that the good of the world be done. In this way I am powerless. My will cannot possibly do what is right if I do not understand the big picture. My friend told me (she is a witch) that prayers are not personal, they just express the wishes for humanity and the world. She prays for humanity to achieve what they need to know by the gentleness possible means. I have experienced many different spiritual paths, and this one gives me the most choices to achieve personal growth, to deal with my own karma. You do know we all have karmic debt? Self-examination is the key. May you all find love, acceptance, and learn to send love and kindness to others.
Thank you for both the blessing and for your lovely thoughts- it is clear to me that you have the gift of deep insight and also a very kind heart! 
There are many different kinds of prayers, like you say- such as prayers that are wishes or pleas, and then there are prayers for the general goodness and happiness of all. I think these are almost opposite- where the first kind of prayer is asking for something to be given to you, and in the second kind of prayer- like your friend was talking about- the prayer is actually a gift, an offering of good thoughts and wishes to all beings 
This is really interesting to think about, and not something that occurred to me before! I believe we have a lot of power in our intentions and thoughts, so it is very helpful to keep our intentions in mind as we practice and live. To ask ourselves- am I casting this wish/prayer/spell for me? For someone else? For the good of all? It ties in to being mindful and appreciative of the things we already have, and our intent to give back! 
Thank you again for sharing your wisdom, @wendy4! 
My friend who went down this path with me was always into doing beauty spells, money spells, this that and it was always tied to “doing” for her. I would always suggest her doing a spell that gave thanks for what she already has… or spells to give back and such. I couldn’t understand how someone could ask for so much or wish for so much but not have the thought of what it means to give. I feel like it was a peak into her shadow side and things that she needs to work on within herself.
Thank you Travel Witch, I am so concerned about this. I value your thoughts,
Thank you all who discerned the difference between self prayer and prayer to the life of others. I think you know what I value for myself. I will not judge others and their needs. We are at different stages of development. Recognize where you may be ( so, so difficult). And pray for the needs of others.
This is a beautiful thing to pray for… for us all to get where we need to be, to go through the changes that make us our best selves, to the benefit of the whole in a way that it flows back down at us as individuals, which I feel is the sustainable way of getting individual benefit too… and with the gentlest possible means, the minimal possible suffering to get there… the exact means and details I wouldn’t presume to know… how could a neuron know what’s best for the brain?
In my magic I prefer to alleviate immediate suffering of myself and others with their permission, provide and experience small delights and insights, and seek connection to the greater whole.
To all the Latinists, this beautiful quote
Quod est inferius est sicut quod est superius. Et quod est superius est sicut quod est inferius, ad perpetranda miracula rei unius.
I agree that we rise by lifting others. And I believe that the individual piece cannot ever comprehend the whole puzzle, but instead try to find the adjacent pieces and connect with those. That way the puzzle becomes complete.
I took “schoolboy Latin” 15 years ago: 3 years translating sentences and memorizing declensions. Still, I had to look that quote up. That’s a lot of words to say as above, so below!! 
Francisco, you made me laugh so hard!
That’s the problem with Latin though, right? You don’t really use it that much. I had it for 7 years in high school, but the main thing I remember is that at least 80 percent of the verbs also mean “to kill” somewhere down the line 
Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius.
Sounds a lot better than… “Kill them all. God will recognize His own”
Well…
Quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur
or…
Anything said in Latin sounds profound
Good as any reason to study Latin I guess, just in case I wanted to start a cult or something…