Day points up the many voices of prayer

COLUMBIA, S.C. — For those who pray, the simple act of conversing with God is a vital part of daily life, as elemental as breathing.

"Prayer reminds us that life is not about the doing but about the living and the relating," the Rev. Dick Lincoln, pastor of Shandon Baptist Church in Forest Acres, S.C., told parishioners in a recent weekly letter to parishioners.

"It reminds us that what goes on in the invisible world is more important than what goes on in the visible world and that talking with the Lord of the universe, whom we cannot see, is the most important thing we do."

The power of prayer has been the subject of innumerable sermons and books, as well as fodder for statisticians. Some health-care providers acknowledge prayer's power even when studies can't document its effectiveness in the healing process.

But as Americans gathered Thursday for the National Day of Prayer, those who pray regularly say there is no way to fully quantify this most private of spiritual activities.

"It's so powerful, because it connects us with the Father," the Rev. Eddie Guess said Monday. "It's our way of communicating with him. He knows what we need, but he is moved by our prayers."

Guess, pastor of Good News Global Ministries in Columbia, S.C., prays daily, often when he rises and when he does physical tasks such as yardwork.

He is also involved in community prayer, especially across racial lines. Guess organized a prayer summit, Needs of the Nation, at Williams-Brice Stadium last year and plans a similar event July 8 at a Columbia park for youths.

"God is not a God who says, well, I only hear Baptist prayers, I only hear Methodist prayers," Guess said. "God is not concerned about our denominations, our socioeconomic background, whether we are Democrats or Republicans. ... He hears the prayers of the righteous."

Seventy-one percent of Americans say they pray at least once a week, according to a survey by Baylor University and The Gallup Organization in 2005.

Those who pray often cite the importance of routine. Some people pray early in the morning as they begin their day. Others reserve quiet time before bedtime. Prayer at mealtime is routine in many homes, a way to incorporate the spiritual into family life.

At an early age, children learn a simple prayer: "God is great, God is good. Now I thank him for our food. By his hands we all are fed. Give us Lord our daily bread."