I think it gives them something to do when they otherwise feel helpless. Also gives them a sense of shared pain when they can involve their whole church, prayer group, etc. They don’t even realize how hypocritical they sound when they
—pray to change a plan that they’re taught to believe was pre-determined before they were even born
—pray for a different outcome when they/family/friend believe they are nearing the end of life but expect to go to Heaven, thought to be “paradise”

The so-called great plan is so secret that no human being has ever discovered and revealed its contents to humanity. Most of the galaxies appear to be flying away from each other at enormous speeds which seemingly increase with more distant galaxies. With very few exceptions they are all moving away from each other in no discernible direction. A spectacularly random event without an iota of planning. Well, at least not the kind of planning that we mere mortals would comprehend...LMAO>

Pick and mix the following in various proportions to suit individual believers:

• gullibility
• stupidity
• arrogance
• a sense of hopelessness

Catastrophic cognitive failure is a thread that is common to all four points above.

..

The Psychology of a Christian may well described as the following,
"I/we MUST always pray to God/Jesus for everything, either in giving thanks or asking for things to improve BECAUSE if we DO NOT then they, God /Jesus, will most likely forget that we exist."

Prayers give people a sense of hope and connectivity to something grander than themselves. This false sense of "bonding" is as comforting to adults as an invisible friend might be to a child. Prayers never get heard or answered by anyone, so I don't understand why believers continue to fool themselves.

If everything is already planned ten we are all fucked. We are just ice cubes in a Manhattan.

Among the usual: ego, greed, envy, lust, sloth, gluttony, wrath, etc. Even helping others is only done to make one feel better. Pure selfishness.

In my experience, believers are comfortable living with paradox. It even becomes a mark of "spiritual maturity" to maintain faith while acknowledging that it makes no sense. It provides quite the effective buffer against cognitive dissonance.

Because they're brainwashed morons?

George Carlin had some greats on this one. They seem true to me, but the bibble claims people in the Old Pesterment were often able to change god's mind about something. That seems to be why people keep praying nonsense today as well.