MORE than half (51 per cent) of the adult under-35s questioned in a new UK survey prayed at least once a month, while almost as many (49 per cent) made a monthly visit to a place of worship. Among over-55s, in contrast, only one quarter (24 per cent) prayed, and one fifth (16 per cent) attended church each month.

The poll also found that young adults were more likely than others to think that their prayers would be answered: 38 per cent of 18- to 34-year-olds believed in answered prayer, compared with 22 per cent of those aged 55 and above.

The survey of 2075 adults, by Savanta ComRes, involved adherents of several faiths, including Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, and Muslims. It was commissioned for the organisers of the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, a new national landmark being built near Birmingham, which seeks to profile a million answered prayers (News, 28 September 2020).

The monument’s creator, Richard Gamble, an entrepreneur and former chaplain of Leicester City FC (Interview, 6 August), said: “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. If younger generations are exploring faith and spirituality online and in non-traditional ways, it shouldn’t be a matter of debate, but should be encouraged and embraced.

“Many 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.”

At 169 feet high, the Eternal Wall of Answered Prayer, which is being built with one million bricks near Coleshill, near Birmingham, will be taller than the Angel of the North. When completed in 2023, the £12-million project is predicted to attract 300,000 visitors annually, and add £9.3 million to the local economy.

“Every single one of a million bricks represents a story of answered prayer to make hope visible to all who see this Christian monument,” Mr Gamble said. “The interactive landmark will engage all generations in exploring Christian prayer. Behind each prayer there is a deeply personal and inspirational story. The hope is that these stories will point them to the God who answers.”

For more information and to donate, visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/eternalwall.