Are American Believers a Selfish Lot? In Prayer, the Answer Appears To Be Yes.

If you need a little help winning the lottery, or you just want your favorite sports team to win, try asking the Almighty. It won’t actually work, but you’ll be in good company.

From Sarah Pulliam Bailey at Religion News Service:

When Americans aren’t busy praying for themselves or their own needs — and most of them are — many are seeking divine intervention on behalf of a favorite sports team or the golden ticket in the lottery, according to a new survey.

Other eye-catching results: Five percent of respondents prayed for someone’s relationship to end; seven percent prayed for a parking spot; 14 percent prayed for God to avenge someone who did them wrong; 15 percent prayed that no one would find out about a “bad thing” they did; and 20 percent asked God to grant success in something they’d put virtually no effort into.

None of that seems to accord with what Jesus supposedly taught. The same is true for God’s son’s exhortation that we love our enemies and pray for them. Only 37 percent of praying Americans have ever asked the Lord to smile upon their enemies.

More about the scope and methodology of the project here.