A recent poll found that people in the UK are more likely to correctly identify a short extract from the Lord’s Prayer than one from the National Anthem and other sources chosen for their deep cultural resonance.
Overall 89% of those surveyed said they had prayed the Lord's Prayer and 58% said they had done so in daily life.
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The Lord’s Prayer is still more easily instantly recognised by the British public than some of the most famous lines from Shakespeare, Dickens or Churchill, new research suggests.
People in the UK are more likely to identify correctly a short extract from the Lord’s Prayer – also known as the Our Father – than one from the National Anthem and other sources chosen for their deep cultural resonance, a new poll has found.
The polling, carried out for the Church of England ahead of the annual Pentecost prayer initiative Thy Kingdom Come, also found the reference in the prayer to being forgiven and forgiving others was the element people found most meaningful to them.
Pollsters Savanta surveyed more than 2,000 people across the UK. They asked them to match seven famous lines - spanning areas ranging from literature and history to popular culture – with their source, from a list of correct answers.
The famous literary lines were “To be or not to be”, from Hamlet, by William Shakespeare, and the opening to Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”.
From British history, people were asked if they recognised the phrase “Never in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few” - Churchill’s stirring words in the House of Commons in August 1940 amid the Battle of Britain.
Famous musical lyrics offered were “You'll never walk alone” which was a hit for Gerry and the Pacemakers – also the anthem of Liverpool FC; and “Happy and glorious / Long to reign over us,” from God Save The King.
From the world of film, they were asked if they recognised “May the force be with you” from Star Wars. And, among the list, was “Give us this day our daily bread” from the Lord’s Prayer.
Overall, the phrase from the Lord’s Prayer was recognised correctly by the largest number of people (80.3 per cent), just ahead of Star Wars (79.9 per cent).
They were followed by Hamlet’s “To be or not to be” (73 per cent) the extract from the National Anthem (63 per cent); the line from Churchill’s ‘The Few’ speech (61 per cent); and You'll Never Walk Alone (58 per cent).
A minority of those surveyed (39 per cent) correctly identified the opening line from Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities.
Overall 89 per cent of those surveyed said that they had previously heard of the Lord's Prayer or the Our Father. This was highest among those who described themselves as Christian (95 per cent), but also by 88 per cent of those who said they had no religion.
Overall 89 per cent said they had ever said or prayed the Lord's Prayer and 58 per cent said they had done so in their daily life.
The survey then gave people the full wording of Lord’s Prayer and asked them to select the lines they found most meaningful. The most commonly selected line was “…and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us” with 43 per cent overall and more than half (56 per cent) of Christians surveyed.
The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, is currently leading a ‘Lord’s Prayer Tour’ of events at churches and cathedrals across the north of England attended by thousands of people, as part of his Faith In The North initiative. He said:
“These results reflect what we’ve been hearing across the North of England through our Faith in the North initiative, which invites people to explore the Lord’s Prayer.
“Though ancient, its words continue to resonate with people of all faiths and none.
“In a world of shifting cultures and changing circumstances, the Lord’s Prayer remains a steady guide - perhaps never more so than now.
“Lines like 'Give us this day our daily bread' speak powerfully to today’s challenges, reminding us to seek sufficiency, not excess, and to consider what ‘enough’ truly means.”
The enduring popularity of the Lord’s Prayer is echoed in the growing number of people engaging with daily worship in both traditional and new ways. Well over three million people have now used the Church of England’s Daily Prayer podcast and app, which offers Morning and Evening Prayer in audio form. Launched during the pandemic, the service has seen over 12 million downloads, with thousands tuning in each day. Blending scripture, music, and reflection, it reflects a wider resurgence of interest in regular prayer and spiritual rhythm, showing that ancient words continue to find new life in modern formats.