The religious also advocate charity towards the afflicted in society, acts of kindness to others (although they can also be rather cruel at times), abstinence from overindulging in "sinful activities"?

It has been my experience with my friends that when anyone sends prayers they are telling you that you are in their thoughts and they are hoping for your recovery. It is comforting to know that they care. Among my friend that is how it is given and received.

Most of my friends are non-practicing but they do identify as Christians.

During my days of Christianity and believing in it. I look back and noticed how I got some relief from praying. Feeling like the prayers might be answered. Some of the prayers seemed to be answered. Hit and miss is the most logical answer. Its kind of like those psychics out there. They get one right every now and then. You forget how many wrongs they had. You seem to be astonish by the the right one. Praying is a self hypnosis. Its a warm and fuzzy feel good method of being hypnotized. Ive seen this in churches. Preacher waves his arms and the congregation falls over. Preacher throws his arms in the air and a person falls backwards or starts jumpimg up and down speaking in tongues. Pretty neet trick to make money. Pass that offering plate after all that commotion. Scared people pull out the hundreds trying to buy a stairway to heaven...lol.

But if the prayer needs comfort? Prayer is an appeal to something bigger than we are. We know ourselves consciously, but underneath all that is something much bigger. Our brains are making decisions and working out scenarios and scanning our surroundings in ways that we never know. If we "pray," or ask for admission to some of those resources, it's possible that we could make some significant inroads into our challenges.

In surprising as religion is a function of belief, as opposed to quantifiable observation as in science. It is therefore a purely psychological endeavor, taking place exclusively in the mind of the adherent, which would be fine if the consequences of the mass belief of a given religious group could equally be kept out of the real world too.

Philosophy is the same. It only comforts the user, because it is aware that the user can make no absolute claims about how it affects others. Hell, i'm not even sure how i'm affected sometimes! Hahahaha.

You put it well but, yes, I think we do notice that.