More recent research on this issue isn’t available, but the Pew findings indicate the pandemic was already shaping Americans’ prayers even in the early stages of its acceleration.

So while prayer is something religious Americans do often, in community and in private, there’s also something about this practice that appears to transcend traditional religion.

During the pandemic, some progressive religious leaders are approaching prayer as a starting point, a practice that bolsters their call for systemic changes to address the social inequalities highlighted by the virus.

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Prayer helps reduce people's levels of stress, anxiety and depression, according to neuroscientist Andrew Newberg.

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Hear more about prayer during the coronavirus pandemic in the HuffPost Between the Lines video all HuffPost superfans!