The vast majority of U.S. teenagers who pray believe their prayers are answered

The vast majority of U.S. teenagers who pray believe their prayers are answered, a new study by the American Bible Society has found.
   
Ninety-one percent of teens said they believe their prayers are answered, the New York-based society said. But teens had varying views on how often their petitions received a response.
   
Twenty-four percent believe their prayers are answered all the time; 24 percent believe they are answered most of the time and 44 percent said they are answered at least some of the time.
   
The results were part of a second study conducted on the role religion plays in the lives of American youth across the country, ages 12 to 17. The initial benchmark study was released in November 2003.
   
Teens also vary in the kinds of prayers they utter: 54 percent say they most often say a personal prayer; 22 percent say the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father; and 1 percent say the rosary.
   
Eleven percent of teens say they utter some other kind of prayer and 14 percent say they do not pray at all.
   
Most praying teens pray for a sick relative or friend — 77 percent — or for personal needs — 72 percent. Fifty-one percent said they pray for world peace or other global concerns. Twenty-three percent pray for material things.
   
Respondents were also asked about attending voluntary prayer meetings if offered before or after classes at school. Nearly one-half — 49% — of these teens said they would be likely to attend such meetings.
   
Nineteen percent said they would be very likely, 30 percent said somewhat likely.
   
More females, southerners and lower income respondents indicated interest in these prayer meetings than other groups.
   
Asked about ongoing religious activities, 45 percent of teens said they pray daily or weekly before meals at home, compared to 23 percent who never pray in that setting.
   
Most students — 64 percent — never pray before meals at school, while 36 percent pray before school meals daily or weekly.
   
While 35 percent of teens said they never read the Bible, 29 percent said they do so at least weekly and 7 percent said they read the holy book daily.
   
The results were part of a study of 500 female and male teenagers ages 12-17 that has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 4.38 percentage points.
   
Participants were interviewed April 8–14, 2004. (RNS)