When Does Prayer Promote Flourishing? Attachment, Prayer Profiles, and Psychological Flourishing

Prayer is among the most prevalent human behaviors, yet its psychological benefits are inconsistently documented. Most research relies on unidimensional measures and overlooks the relational dynamics that shape the function of prayer. The present study examined associations between attachment to God, latent prayer profiles, and flourishing in a sample of N = 452 Israeli Jews (M age = 44.69, SD = 14.96; 48.0% female). Participants completed the Multidimensional Prayer Inventory (MPI), the Attachment to God Inventory (AGI), and the Harvard Flourishing Measure. Latent profile analysis of MPI subscales identified four prayer profiles: Modal, Disengaged-Habitual, Engaged-Devotional, and Engaged-Penitential. Profiles differed significantly in flourishing and AGI scores: the Disengaged-Habitual profile showed the highest AGI avoidance and the lowest flourishing, whereas the Engaged-Devotional profile showed the lowest AGI anxiety and the highest flourishing. Hierarchical regression revealed that only the Disengaged-Habitual profile predicted significantly lower flourishing relative to Modal prayer, while AGI anxiety and avoidance were the dominant predictors. Interaction analyses showed that AGI anxiety was less strongly associated with lower flourishing for the Engaged-Penitential profile. These findings underscore the centrality of relational orientation toward God in shaping the psychological function of prayer and inform a person-centered understanding of when and for whom prayer promotes flourishing.