A: Pray

Not everybody prays because they want God to do something for them but most people do. A study at Massachusetts’ Brandeis University found that 28% of people who pray ask God for something and another 28% thank the Almighty, but also make requests. Only 22% of prayers are just thank you notes to God. And prayer requests cover a wide variety of subjects. People plead for big things like health, jobs and good relationships, but also request little items like finding lost objects or getting parking spots. Interestingly, 90% of U.S. adults say they pray, with more than half praying at least once a day. Study head Wendy Cadge says it’s important to know why people pray, especially if you believe prayer works.