The study, conducted by Christian Research on behalf of Scripture Union (England and Wales) maintains that children treated prayer as a conversation and expect real and immediate responses from God.
Rob Powys-Smith, Researcher at Christian Research said, "In each of the focus groups, we had some expectations of how the children would respond.
"Their openness and, but more importantly their expectation to have their prayers answered was a challenge to those expectations. Prayer for them seems to be a very natural part of their journey of faith, whether or not they are active church goers."
It was also claimed that moments of loss, separation, and confusion trigger soul-searching and embryonic spiritual enquiry amongst children.
Maggie Barfield, project lead for Scripture Union on the study says, "What has surprised us with this research is the openness children have to spirituality and prayer across the board.
"It would be expected that children from an active Christian family would pray, but to discover even those from a family with a less active faith were praying to a Higher Power is fascinating."
The research project focused on children aged 8 -12 years old also included interviews with parents and was conducted among families who were both active in their faith and those who had no recognisable affiliation to the church.
Listen to Maggie Barfield speaking to Premier's Hannah Tooley on the News Hour:
