I am not religious but I pray to god..

[LOST CAUSE]

 

[sleepwalk]

As others have said, religion does not have an exclusive claim to belief or spirituality, nor do many require a specific sole definition of a higher power (the "man with a beard" problem.) I've come across quite a few people who identify as atheist but feel there is a higher power of some sort. This has been derided as being akin to a person who eats poultry and seafood but not red meat describing themselves as a vegetarian. Not my call to judge on that.

If this is purely a behavioral thing, it's common. These are rituals and rites that we fixate and find comfort/peace/centering in. Dara O'Briain once said, "I'm still a Catholic. You'd think that not believing in God would end all that but no. It really is the stickiest, most adhesive religion, Catholicism." Many of the people I know who have left a religion adhere to many customs found within that religion: atheists and Buddhists who observe Lent or make use of a rosary in meditation or Christians and agnostics who remain halal or vegetarian.

One of the more lambasted aspects of prayer is "begging or cowering to your god out of fear or greed." I can't say that I've never asked of, begged, bargained with or even threatened God but there is more to it than that. If there is no higher power to answer, then at least a personalized sounding board can do wonders for the thought process. So do what works for you and follow what feels right.

If I might suggest a read, this one has a positive attitude about self-compromise.


Also these:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/essays/in-awe-of-everything/

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/uucollective/2014/08/the-spiritual-practice-of-agnosticism/