From traditional and fundamentalist dogma to metaphysical speculations, the basic belief has been that the Power of God can intervene in human affairs to somehow provide people what they believe they need. A very large percentage of any organized or even non-organized religion has had such belief as the foundation of its existence. In the most basic of terms, most human beings are attracted to some form of religion based on what they believe the religion can do for them in their present physical lives and as some assurance of good experience in any afterlife. In effect, the religion (at least in a follower's mind) acts as an intermediary between the follower and God. Reduced to its simplest description, people become part of a religion with the thought that through the religion of their choice, God will grant them their desires or prayers in this life and the afterlife.

When humans are very young, they look up to their physical parents to supply their needs. When they become adults, at least in number of physical years, they turn to God to take over for their physical parents to supply their needs during their physical lifetime and in the life beyond the physical. In traditional religion, God is prayed to --- asked, pleaded with, or begged --- that something be granted.