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Some praise, some doubts as Facebook rolls out a prayer tool

Facebook Prayers
Posted at 4:47 PM, Aug 09, 2021
and last updated 2021-08-09 16:47:38-04

Facebook already asks for your thoughts.

Now it wants your prayers.

The social media giant has rolled out a new prayer request feature, a tool embraced by some religious leaders as a cutting-edge way to engage the faithful online.

Others are eyeing it warily as they weigh its usefulness against the privacy and security concerns they have with Facebook.

In Facebook Groups employing the feature, members can use it to rally prayer power for job interviews, illnesses, and other personal challenges big and small.

According to the Associated Press, the social media company began testing it in December in the U.S. as part of an ongoing effort to support faith communities.

The company said in a statement that they began exploring new tools to support faith and spirituality communities after seeing they were using their services to connect during the pandemic, the AP reported.

After they create the post, other users can tap an "I prayed" button, respond with a "like," comment or send a message.