A third of UK adults are praying and attending church at least once a month, according to a survey.
The poll of more than 2,000 UK adults found that 31 per cent said they attended church and took part in services at least once a month while 36 per cent pray, either alone, with a small group or at church.
The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer which is being built near Coleshill on the outskirts of Birmingham, UK. PICTURE: Supplied.
The findings also showed particular engagement among young people with 51 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds praying at least once a month, compared to just 24 per cent of those aged 55 and over. Some 49 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds said they attended church at least once a month, compared to just 16 per cent of those aged 55 and over.
Young people were also more likely to believe their prayers will be answered than other age groups, with 38 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds expressing this, compared with 22 per cent of those 55 and over.
The Savanta ComRes survey was commissioned by The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, a project involving the construction of a national landmark near Birmingham with each one of the million bricks used during the construction representing a specific answered prayer.
Richard Gamble, founder of the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, said in a statement the survey results showed that despite the narrative that “the UK is a growing secular society, it is becoming increasingly clear that there is actually a growing spirituality in the nation”.
He said that many young people “are now discovering that prayer is not a response of last resort but a conversation with God”.
“Different faiths have different perspectives of God as a higher being, but Christianity teaches that God is a relational being who listens to our prayers and answers those prayers, sometimes in ways we could never have anticipated. Prayer without some expectation and hope of an answer is akin to talking in an empty room.”
Construction on The Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer is set to begin this year with the site due to open in early 2023. A crowdfunding appeal has been launched to fund the remainder of the £12m project which will stand 169 feet high and is expected to attract 300,000 visitors each year.
