Prayer drive-thru resonates with commuters: 'So many people are searching for answers'

AP

A church's idea of erecting a 'prayer box' in their parking lot has caught on across the US.

The Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Jackson, Tennessee, came up with the idea to reach out to passing drivers.

A holder contains cards that passers-by can write their prayer requests onto before posting them inside the sealed box.

Initially, the prayer box received around half a dozen requests each week but after the local newspaper picked up on the idea, Aldersgate lay leader Barry Matthews says the number has grown "substantially".

"We're seeing requests that just grab your heart," he told The Christian Post.

"There are so many people out there who are going through challenges in their lives and are searching for answers.

"What we're trying to do is offer the hope in Christ that we all have and the peace in Him that goes beyond our understanding."

And the success of the prayer box has inspired other churches to try something similar. Matthews says they have had requests for more information from other churches across the US.

"In fact, they're telling us that this is an answer to their prayers," he says.

"They have similar situations where they have high volumes of drivers pass or go through their church parking lots and have always wanted to find a way to reach them in some way."