When they say "I'll pray for you" you just say "I'll think for you".

I've found that if you:
Start twitching, slapping at your clothing,
And scream "It burns!!! IT BURNS!!!"
They will usually leave.

I just smile and say, "that is very sweet of you. Thank you". No need to make anyone uncomfortable. No need to pound your atheism. If you are sure they meant well, just a smile is ok
If you think they are trying to convert you, say thank you for the thought, and wouldn't it be nice if prayer really did work.

Hitchens responded with, "I'll think for you."

In your mind say hmmm.... say awww thank you. We're talking about loving confused people. Cut them a break.... they have to change into us so cutting them down or blowing them off will only hurt them. When they do finally come around to being us they want remember you as an ass hole.

Let them do what makes them happy .I don’t care .If i did care then I am no better than a religious person who condemns my lack of belief

If someone says they will pray for you you thank them and move on

I don't take offense. I acknowledge the intent, which is to give comfort. Thinking positive thoughts can only help, no matter how it's wrapped.

I'd reply "you're not praying for me, you're praying for yourself".

They might not get it though.

I treat them based on their sincerity and demeanor. I respond with anything from, "Thank you." to, "God fuck yourself."

Well I would like to just say No thank you, Im good. I would really prefer to avoid a religion debate. So I guess being included in their prayers to an imaginary god isnt going to kill me.

I will once again quote Ron White, "You can't fix stupid". ?

I say "you do that" and walk off. Or if they're genuinely empathetic and saying it because I'm going through a hard time I say thanks

I tell them to save it for somebody that believes in magic.

I just say "thank you." Unless they're being condescending pricks. Then I just say, "well, bless your heart." (If you're southern, you know what that means.)

I say thanks. If they want to pray it's ok by me as long as they don't try to recruit me

I look at prayer as energy. So I don't care. Pray for me or don't. I just say thank you. If I'm in a pissy mood I ask if they can pray to Satan for me.

I take it as a compliment when someone says that to me. My friends who are christian always say it to me and I thank them for it. It’s really their way of saying “hey, I’ll be thinking about you and hoping everything turns out alright”. Now for me I have good reason to think nothing will come of those prayers, but one of the strengths of religion is the community that springs forth from it (as long as it’s a supportive positive one). I know my friends want the best for me, but what about strangers that say it? Well who knows what their motivations are: they could genuinely be concerned about a perceived threat to your spiritual well-being or they could just be trying to play the piety card. Point being here is this: all you can really do is smile, assume they mean well, thank them, then move on with your day.

Go for it...
Like WC Fields said.. "I'm covering all my bases """ lol

Grin and bear it

Let them get on with it, it doesn't make any difference but if that's how they want to spend their time then let them

I want to say ordering pizza would be more useful, but I don’t.

I let them pray for me now. Before, I took it as an insult and I still get that feeling sometimes. But, it makes them fell better. If they want to save me, I go through the motions, ask Jesus to come into my heart, etc,. They're thrilled that they brought another soul to Jesus and it didn't cost me anything. It just makes their day. It is disingenuous? Sure, but I just prefer to cut to the chase and get it over with. I think I've been saved about a dozen times now so I should be good "just in case".

I ignore them.

It depends on the situation. My husband is a cancer patient and has completed 12 cycles of chemo for stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. We still have CT scans every 3 months to watch a couple of tumors that are still lingering. When people hear his story 9 times out of 10 we hear God is good, god is giving him strength, and I'm praying for you. Because it happens constantly with strangers we just smile and nod, it would be a battle if we told every person not to pray because we are atheists plus they really think it's going to help and doing it out of kindness. If it was our friends and family who know we are atheists then we would say something. My husband survived stage 4 cancer because he is strong and a fighter, my husband did that not God.