Why do some people use the word "Just" a lot when they pray?

[raccoon]

Such as, "We just ask that you bless this gathering..." and so on.

Couldn't they say what they want to say without the word "just?"

[GeorgeGist]

1. To shame 'God' ?

[Paladin]

2. It's a fundamentalist thing, for sure. (nt)

[Aristus]

3. No kidding. I'm a liberal Methodist married to a conservative evangelical.

Even after all these years, I still can't get used to the excruciating banality of evangelical prayer:

Dear God, we just, just, just, thank You and praise You,
and just, just, just praise You and thank you,
because You're just, just, just, You know,
just so totally awesome and stuff...

[lastlib]

4. I mean, it's like, just, fersure, yaknow?

Totally.

[Wounded Bear]

5. And just what are you implying?

[yortsed snacilbuper]

6. The difference between people that pray in a church and the people that pray in a casino,

the people in the casino really mean it!

[Ino]

7. "We don't ask for much, just this little bitty thing." (nt)

[Still Blue in PDX]

8. Waaaaay back when I taught Sunday School a SS workshop leader called those "weejus" prayers.

... as opposed to more formal prayers.

[malthaussen]

9. Assuming your question is not rhetorical...

... I would conjecture it springs from the same source as people who say things like "Could you sort of turn off the light?" (How one "sort of" turns off a light is best left unasked, I think)

You may consider it humility (if you are charitable) or passive-aggressive (if you are a realist). It is a feeble attempt to disavow responsibility for the statement.

-- Mal

[Lars39]

10. They're trying to sound humble while they present their list of demands.