Saturday, June 14, 1997

Faiths share link in approaching God

By MAUREEN HAYDEN / Scripps Howard News Service

Spencer Downs is an evangelical Christian minister who believes salvation comes only through Jesus Christ.

Marwan Wafa is a devout Muslim who believes the Kingdom of Heaven is reached by following the teachings of Mohammed.

Although Downs and Wafa may seem worlds apart in their beliefs, they share a common bond: They both believe in the power of prayer.

In churches, mosques and temples around the world, prayer is a tool used by people of all faiths who are struggling to make sense of a seemingly chaotic world. And it can be a time of praise.

"There is nothing new about prayer," says Downs, Christian Fellowship Church pastor for adult ministries in Evansville, Ind. "People have been talking to God for a very long time."

In fact, according to a recent Newsweek magazine poll, 54 percent of Americans say they pray on a daily basis, and 29 percent report praying more than once a day. Even when disappointed by the outcome, they say, their faith remains.

According to the poll, 85 percent of Americans say they accept God's decision on whether to grant their prayers, and only 13 percent report ever losing their faith because their prayers went unanswered.

The numbers don't surprise Wafa, a business professor at the University of Southern Indiana and president-elect of the Islamic Society of Evansville. "We all feel the need to pray to our creator," says Wafa, who follows the Muslim law of praying five times a day . "Muslims believe that all human beings are born with a recognition of the Almighty God."

And the faithful are not just praying for themselves: 82 percent of those responding to the Newsweek poll say they pray for others as well. The Newsweek poll learned that how people pray and what they pray for is as diverse as the multitude of faiths.

In Evansville, for example, members of Temple Adath B'nai Israel recite ancient prayers, both in English and Hebrew, that serve as vivid reminders of Jewish history. Mormons, though, have few formal prayers, says Jeanie Nunn, spokeswoman for the local congregation of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Only two formal prayers, including one said at baptism, are used frequently. Yet Mormons pray both intensely and often.

And as different as their prayers are, both Abrams and Mrs. Nunn use prayer much in the same way: as a means to develop a personal relationship with God, to whom they look for guidance.

"I can be worried about something and my children will ask me, 'Mom, have you prayed about it?' " says Mrs. Nunn.

For others, prayer is an intensely quiet time: The Rev. Conrad Grosenick, pastor of Peace Lutheran Church, spends an hour of his daily prayer time in silence, pushing away what he calls the noise of his thoughts.

"God already knows what you're thinking,"says Grosenick. "I think what God wants sometimes is for us to put our hands over our mouth and just shut up for once."

But does God hear prayers?

And does he respond?

"That's the great mystery," says James Ware, professor of religious studies at the University of Evansville. Ware, a graduate of the Yale University School of Divinity, says the question is centuries old: If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, as most faiths believe, then what is the point of prayer?

"People in the Bible asked the question, but really didn't attempt to reduce the answer down to the level we modern Christians do," adds Ware. "We modern Christians seem much more concerned with finding that answer."

Downs has no doubt of the answer. "I believe God hears and answers our prayers. Maybe we just don't like the answer he's giving us."

Downs doesn't come to that conclusion lightly: He entered the ministry only after retiring from 45 years in the military as a physician.

As an Air Force doctor whose last tour of duty was during the Vietnam War, he witnessed plenty of human suffering.

"One of the big questions is, 'Why does God allow suffering?' " Downs says. "But much of it is not God's work; it's man's work. It's our own pride, greed and drive for power that cause most of the suffering in the world."

The faithful say they take their direction on prayer from God. Downs points to words of Jesus: "Ask and you shall receive."

There are similar passages in the Koran, says Wafa. "God says, 'Ask and I will reply.' "

For nonbelievers, prayer may seem like folly. But for believers, they need no proof of its power.

"A lot of times prayer doesn't change things, as much as it changes us," says Downs. "It can't always take away the burdens, but it can help us become more accepting of them."

While some use prayer to petition for miracles, others use prayer more for understanding, according to the Newsweek poll, which found 75 percent of Americans ask God to give them strength to overcome adversity.

That's a belief that crosses denominations and can be found in the Bible, the Koran and the Torah.

"I don't need big miracles to sustain my faith," says Abrams. "I don't need walls to come crashing down or the seas to part... . I don't think prayer can rebuild a damaged bridge, but I do think it can mend a broken heart."