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40% of adults pray, says survey | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
People feel prayer changes their lives, with some 42% of UK residents saying they pray regularly, research suggests. | |
Christian development agency Tearfund surveyed 1,000 adults of all religions and found one in six prayed daily, and one in four at least once a week. | |
After praying, 38% reported feeling "peaceful and content", 30% were strengthened and 57% said it changed what happened in their lives. | After praying, 38% reported feeling "peaceful and content", 30% were strengthened and 57% said it changed what happened in their lives. |
Even people with no religion reported praying, with 12% praying sometimes. | Even people with no religion reported praying, with 12% praying sometimes. |
Praying made 30% of people feel strengthened, 22% said they felt close to God, 21% said they felt reassured and safe and 19% said they felt happy and joyful. | Praying made 30% of people feel strengthened, 22% said they felt close to God, 21% said they felt reassured and safe and 19% said they felt happy and joyful. |
'Prayers answered' | 'Prayers answered' |
A total of 57% of those who pray said they believed that prayer changed what happened in their life. | A total of 57% of those who pray said they believed that prayer changed what happened in their life. |
One in three adults agreed with the statement "There is a God who watches over me and answers my prayer", according to the survey. | One in three adults agreed with the statement "There is a God who watches over me and answers my prayer", according to the survey. |
The survey was conducted by TNS for Tearfund to draw attention to its global poverty prayer week. The random sample of over-16s were interviewed face-to-face between February and March 2007. Matthew Frost, Tearfund chief executive, said: "This report means a great deal to us in our work to help to eradicate poverty through local churches by demonstrating the prevalence and potential of prayer." | |
Top prayer topics in order of popularity were family and friends, thanking God, guidance, healing and worldwide problems such as poverty, wars and disaster. | Top prayer topics in order of popularity were family and friends, thanking God, guidance, healing and worldwide problems such as poverty, wars and disaster. |
Young people were less likely than their elders to pray, with just over a quarter - 27% - of 16 to 24-year-olds admitting ever praying. | Young people were less likely than their elders to pray, with just over a quarter - 27% - of 16 to 24-year-olds admitting ever praying. |
The proportion of those praying rose steadily as people got older, reaching 51% of those aged 55 to 74 and a peak of 61% of over 75-year-olds. | The proportion of those praying rose steadily as people got older, reaching 51% of those aged 55 to 74 and a peak of 61% of over 75-year-olds. |
According to other surveys cited by Tearfund, around 60% of people across Europe say they pray, with the figure for the US even higher. |