Is prayer becoming a religion unto itself? That was the question that The Wall Street Journal asked in its recent article entitled “Prayer’s Place in America.” A disconnect between 
prayer and religious affiliation has arrived:
- 39% of Americans attend church weekly yet 75% pray at least weekly, according to the Pew Religion Forum.
- And maybe most remarkably: 35% of those who don’t identify with any religion at all — the “unaffiliated”– pray weekly or daily.
- In fact, 58% overall, and 66% of American women pray daily.
With 39% of Americans attending church and 75% praying at least weekly, there seems to be a separation between religion and prayer. Or at least church attendance and prayer. If you are reading this blog, you probably do not attend church, but you are more likely to pray weekly. Statistically speaking of course.
The WSJ expounds on these notions:
But these statistics, as well as the popularity over the years of books like the Prayer of Jabez and The Secret and many other devotional books, show that prayer has become popular on its own, sometimes detached from the tradition of church. Call it Prayerism.
“Prayerism”. That’s a new term, but an old concept. The whole, “I’m not religious, I’m just spiritual” lends to this thinking of believing in prayer, but not attending church. Why?
Here are 3 reasons why you probably believe in “prayerism”, but don’t go to church:
