By AMANDA VERZELLO, REBECCA LANE and SARA TOURIGNY

For most BYU students, the experience of living in Provo doesn’t provide much religious diversity.  Many are under the impression that we live in a strictly Mormon community. 
However, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives, approximately 20,000 people of other faiths reside here. In an attempt to establish a greater sense of commonality among these sects, The Daily Universe set out to explore the role of prayer among Muslim, Catholic and Evangelical practitioners in the area.

Although the mechanics of prayer differ among the varying faiths, we found the motivation of drawing closer to deity and improving personal lives was a common thread that connected them all.

The Evangelical prayer box

Being faithful has recently become more convenient for Orem Evangelicals.

The Orem Community Church is reaching out to the community by way of a drive-up prayer box, located in the church’s parking lot at 130 N. 400 E. in Orem.

Anyone is welcome to put a request in the mailbox-shaped receptacle, and then members of the church’s congregation meet monthly in a group called “Pray with me now!” to pray on behalf of the requests.

“Everybody who has a burdened soul, everybody who needs a prayer from us; we’re there for you,” said the church’s minister, Reverend Jacob Haas, at the box’s dedication on July 22.

The most common requests are faith, work and health, Haas said.

Prayer has touched the lives of the members of the congregation multiple times.
“There are certain things I pray for every day,” said Norman Rohr, an active member of the church. He said he has witnessed many miracles in his life as a result of prayer.

The idea to put up a permanent prayer box came to Rohr after Haas displayed a cardboard box asking for prayer requests at a church garage sale. A member of the church constructed the box, which has become a “success,” Rohr said.

“Recharging the batteries” five times a day

The sun has yet to rise, but Ali Ibrahim is already awake to give his first prayer of the day.

“Overall, it takes about an hour out of the day,” Ibrahim said.

Throughout the day, Ibrahim, a Muslim and religious affairs coordinator for Utah Muslims, will pray five times in a day, as mandated in the Five Pillars of Islam.

Each day is broken into five segments. Within each of the five blocks of time, a prayer is offered to Allah.

“The prayers aren’t set on a specific clock; it is the function of the sun,” said Ahmad Salah, the imam for Friday prayer at BYU.

The imam, the religious leader similar to a priest or bishop, leads the prayer when it is recited in a group.

Each prayer is comprised of two, three or four units. Each unit includes the following:
First, the Satiha, the opening chapter of the Quran, is recited in Arabic followed by another segment from the Quran. Then individuals whisper their own prayers until the imam calls the group together.

At the end of a unit, there are specified movements that include kneeling, sitting, bowing and standing.

“The idea of prayer is not to constantly go through the motions,” Ibrahim said. “The idea of prayer five times a day is a constant remembrance of God.”

Salah describes prayer as a continuous communication with God, a way to worship and a way “to keep recharging the batteries.”

“We believe that this is a command from God,” Salah said. “We’ve been ordered to pray five times a day.”

Telling God “yes”

Grasping the string of beads hanging from her neck, Mary Jo O’Connor kneels down in prayer to God. Holding the crucifix first, she recites the Sign of the Cross followed by a series of memorized prayers.

“Prayer plays a very big role in my life.” O’Connor said. “I start my day with prayer as soon as I open my eyes and I thank God for another day, to know, love and serve him. I pray off and on throughout my day and I end my day with prayer.”

Through these repetitious and personal prayers, the Catholic Church invites its members to stay in close contact with God and develop a relationship with Him.
“Knowing that God loves me gives me strength and fortitude to move forward in good times and bad,” O’Connor said.

Catholics pray in many different ways, including devotional prayers and meditation, which bring knowledge of God’s plan of salvation, said Colleen Gudreau, director of communications at the Diocese in Salt Lake City.

Similar to the sacrament performed in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the liturgical prayer accompanies the Holy Communion, which symbolizes the body and blood of Christ through partaking of bread and wine.

Most fundamental prayers in the Catholic Church are memorized and recited according to their applicability in different situations. For example, prayer before meals, morning prayers and evening prayers are all scripted.

“Prayer is our ‘yes’ response to God’s invitation to live in a reciprocal, loving relationship,” Gudreau said.