Study: Effectiveness Of Prayer Directly Linked To Number Of Times You Say ‘Father God’

PARKERSBURG, WV—A decade-long study conducted by researchers at West Virginia Christian College has found that the number of times church leaders use the term “Father God” in public prayer directly correlates to the success of the requests made during the prayers.

“Individuals whose Father God Count (FGC) accounted for at least ten to fifteen percent of the actual prayer time (PT) were far more likely to have their requests answered,” said James Delaney, lead author of the research paper.

After news of the study broke, millions of churches began placing minimums on their FGC for public prayer leaders. Strategies differ from congregation to congregation, although placing a “Father God” before and after each sentence seems to be growing in popularity. Another more controversial method has been to start each public prayer by repeating the phrase “Father God” several dozen times before beginning the prayer proper.

“This is really helpful information!” said Louisa Parker from the Church of Christ in Macon, Georgia. “I feel like we can really make sure Father God listens to us by saying ‘Father God’ a bunch of times when we talk to Father God,” Parker added as she solemnly pointed a finger toward the heavens.

However, there are those who view such research as potentially harmful. Billy Palmer, leader of the Georgia Bible Tech research team, wasn’t entirely sure that the results of the study should have been made public.

“Releasing such information will only lead to an arms race in which the ‘Father God Count’ at various churches will begin to increase exponentially, potentially leading to hours-long prayers,” Palmer said. “This could pose a problem for many people including the elderly and infirm, who can only stand for so long.”