Prayers are beneficial due to love.

Prayer is indeed useful. It is useful in both directions. When you pray for the benefit of another, benefit is gained, but those who pray also benefit because they are exercising love and concern within the framework of faith. For love to grow, love must be exercised; for faith to grow, faith must be exercised. You do not grow in faith by talking or thinking or reading about it. You grow in faith by exercising it, by doing something which demands a level of faith beyond what you feel to be your capacity.

You know the expression that love grows when you give it away. Love expands when it is given. You are more loving when you exercise love; you are more faithful as you are drawn to the exercise of that faith. Your prayers, therefore, in whatever form they are offered, are always beneficial because they are generated first out of love.