In an interview this week with Diane Sawyer on ABC, President Barack Obama says he’s been praying “a lot” in recent weeks in light of the crises present at home and abroad, even “every night.” “I am praying that I’m making the best possible decisions, and that I’ve got the strength to serve the American people well.” Recently at the National Prayer Breakfast, Obama said prayer “can touch our hearts with humility…that each of us are children of an awesome and loving God.” 43% of Americans say they aren’t sure what Obama’s religion is, from a Pew Research survey conducted late last year. Although his family does not regularly attend a church, the president has defended himself against national skepticism of his religion: “My Christian faith … has been a sustaining force for me over these last few years—all the more so when Michelle and I hear our faith questioned from time to time,” he said last month. “We are reminded that ultimately what matters is not what other people say about us but whether we’re being true to our conscience and true to our God.” Obama has said that he and his family often practice their faith in the privacy of their home, sometimes utilizing his famously defended Blackberry to study devotionals.
