"I hope god exists otherwise I've been praying for years for...

"I hope god exists otherwise I've been praying for years for nothing
That's the risk you run, I guess. Certainty is rare, if it exists at all :)"

Well actually, I think you will find as you get a few more years of life experience, maybe even travel a bit, that many people find that their lives are greatly enriched and enhanced by their religious faith...

If God does not exist and you have prayed all your life, you probably have not done any harm to yourself or others and the few hours in total you spent over a lifetime might have made you feel rather good about yourself even if there was no burning bush in reply...

However, if a God does exist, and further, if there is a Heaven and Hell awaiting you for an eternal afterlife, and you have not been praying and living life as a good Christian... the prospect of Hell, fire and brimstone and vultures pecking at your intestines for all eternity does seem to be imply a reasonable risk/reward ratio to justify for an occasional prayer and living a good Christian life according to the 10 commandments...

You might want to have a read of some of the many published "Near Death Experiences" and get an idea of what potentially and possibly could be awaiting you and the rest of us...

At worst, you might find them interesting material to read...