'To Bless All Mankind' February 20, 2017 Issue

Why the tweet #prayfor has staying power

The <i>Monitor’s</i> Editorial Board

Adapted from an article published in The Christian Science Monitor, October 4, 2016.

A popular hashtag on Twitter these days starts with #prayfor, followed by the place of a major tragedy, such as #prayforAleppo or #prayforOrlando. In the United States, major media have begun to take note of the high number of prayer services held in religious institutions, especially after such tragedies.

At a time of a decline in church attendance, why is prayer still so prominent in the public square?

One reason, suggests a nationwide survey by the nonpartisan Barna Group, is that a majority of American adults—66 percent—believe that God can heal. Even more people (68 percent) have prayed for God to heal someone. And more than a quarter of American adults have experienced healing through prayer.

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