Online debt prayer nets 8,000 hits

AS THE UK slips closer to recession, more and more people are praying online for help with their finances.

Rather than consulting debt advisers, it seems that worried savers and borrowers are looking for divine intervention in cyberspace.

The Church of England said it had more than 8,000 hits on a prayer asking God for help with the global banking crisis.

The Prayer for the Current Financial Situation asks God to be a "a tower of strength amidst the shifting sands" of the economic turmoil, and has pushed up traffic to the website by nearly a third, 28 per cent, since its launch in September.

There was also a 71 per cent increase in the number of people visiting the debt advice page of its website.

The Matter of Life and Debt area of the site has a "debt spiral" to help people work out how much financial trouble they are in, and useful advice for those worried about debt.

Dr John Preston, the Church of England's national steward, who wrote the debt advice, said he was "delighted" that the website had proved so popular. "I'm delighted the content is resonating with people, and there is something the Church has to offer people.

"I think that people aren't necessarily going online to seek religion, but as they are browsing, their thoughts turn to it.

"We know that many people do pray, but things are made so accessible by having it online.

"Instead of having to go somewhere, and find something, we just provide some words that people can go through wherever they are."