Cuba Gooding Jr. Says He's Praying for Diddy During His Federal Trial

Cuba Gooding Jr. says he's turning to the Lord during this trying time for Diddy ... revealing he's praying for the fallen mogul as his federal trial creeps on.

We caught up with the actor at LAX Wednesday ... and, we asked him if he's been keeping up on the developments in Diddy's sex trafficking trial -- which he tells us are darn near impossible to avoid these days.

Cuba says he's keeping Diddy and his alleged victims -- pointing to Cassie Ventura and her family specifically -- in his prayers.

While Cuba says it ain't easy feeling sympathy for the Bad Boy hitmaker ... he still musters some up -- pointing to a Bible verse about not casting stones at a fellow sinner.

Gooding talks about the old school studio system fixers, too, who used to make problems disappear by cash or force ... noting the admiration people used to feel for their stars has evaporated as Hollywood secrets have leaked out.

Worth noting ... Cuba was sued alongside Diddy by Rodney Jones for allegedly "touching, groping, and fondling Mr. Jones's legs, his upper inner thighs near his groin, the small of his back near his buttocks and his shoulders."

The lawsuit was dismissed in May for failure to serve Gooding and Justin Combs, Diddy's son. Gooding has always denied wrongdoing in the case and claims he barely knows Diddy.

While the trial was canceled for today due to a juror's vertigo, Diddy's federal case is coming to an end quickly with officials expecting testimony to wrap up around the end of the month.