Big Ups to God

We may want Big Brother to leave God alone, but that doesn’t stop a few hundred million of us from hittin the big guy up for favors on a regular basis. A recent study shows that 90 percent of Americans pray every day. About three quarters pray for themselves and loved ones, and the other quarter pray solely for themselves. And just what are we asking for? Prayers recorded in the study were a mix of requests and thank yous, and researchers say many people consider their chats with God healing. “Most prayer writers imagine a God who is accessible, listening, and a source of emotional and psychological support, who at least sometimes answers back,” says Wendy Cadge, a sociologist who led the study.