'Gratitude and thanksgiving' came in as the most popular
Worries about the government
And what about global injustice? Is this intertwined with political views? Well, liberals are more likely to pray for global injustices (26 per cent) than conservatives (19 per cent), and black people more likely to do the same (27 per cent) than white people (19 per cent).
"Prayer is by far the most common spiritual practice among Americans," said Barna's editor in chief, Roxanne Stone. "The vast majority of Americans—no matter their religious affiliation or non-affiliation—participate in some kind of prayer activity. Barna has found this to be true consistently over the last several decades. The numbers have barely changed from year to year. Which made us wonder: what do people mean by prayer? What do these
"What we found gives us a much more nuanced portrait of the American prayer life. The most notable aspect of which is it's individual quality. People pray mostly alone—it is a solitary activity defined primarily by the immediate needs and concerns of the individual. Corporate prayer and corporate needs are less compelling drivers in people's prayer lives."
"The good news: People have active and personal prayer lives. They are engaging with God outside their houses of worship and around the most intimate and vulnerable areas of their lives."
However, Roxanne argues that there is still room for improvement!
"What would it look like to begin to broaden the scope of those prayer lives? To consider the power of corporate prayer—when more than one are gathered in God's name? How can we turn our collective prayers toward broader world issues and injustices? How do our prayers help others in times of crisis?" she asks.
"Such questions can enliven prayer lives and embolden people to believe the power of their prayer."
Prayer
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