A new survey has shown that 83 per cent of Protestant churchgoers in the US prefer praying to God than reading their Bible when it comes to their daily time with him. 

The study by Lifeway Research found that of those that would rather pray during their alone with God, 80 per cent say they “thank God” and 62 per cent “praise God”.

The findings were taken from a survey of 1,002 US Protestants last September.

Executive director of Lifeway Research, Scott McConnell said: “We see a pattern in Scripture of followers of God withdrawing to spend time alone with Him. Jesus Christ Himself also did this.

“Most Protestant churchgoers continue this relational interaction with God and use a variety of resources as they do.”

The research also showed that women (48 per cent), were more likely to spend more time with God daily than men (38 per cent).