'We pray to the risen Jesus': U2's Bono reveals he worships with his family on a giant bed

The Daily Mail (UK) | 13 April 2014

He is known for his forthright views.

But while U2's Bono can command the attention of world leaders, the Nobel Peace Prize winner has revealed he gets his inner strength from Jesus.

The singer-humanitarian, who has been seen attending Presbyterian services, says he and his family pray to 'the risen Jesus' on an outsized family bed.

Watch video

Inner peace: Bono, seen here at London's Firehouse restaurant this month, can command the attention of world leaders, but the Nobel Peace Prize winner has told Ireland's RTE One he gets his inner strength from praying to Jesus

Opening up about his religious views, the singer, 53, revealed that he and wife Ali Hewson, and four children Eve, Jordan, Elijah and John Hewson, hold impromptu prayer sessions in honour of sick members of the family and those generally struggling in life.

In an interview with Ireland's RTE One, the rock star said: 'I pray to get to know the will of God, because then the prayers have more chance of coming true, I mean, that’s the thing about prayer,' Bono told interviewer Gay Byrne.

He added: 'We don't do it in a very lofty way in our family. It’s just a bunch of us on the bed, usually, we’ve a very big bed in our house. We pray with all our kids, we read the Scriptures, we pray.'

When asked who he prays to and for what, Bono replied: 'The risen Jesus.'

He said: '[Jesus] went around saying he was the Messiah. That’s why he was crucified. He was crucified because he said he was the Son of God.

'So, he either, in my view, was the Son of God or he was nuts... And I find it hard to accept that whole millions and millions of lives, half the Earth, for 2,000 years have been touched, have felt their lives touched and inspired by some nutter. I just, I don’t believe it.'

Famous father: U2 front man Bono, with wife Ali (L) and daughters Eve and Jordan (far right)

Aside from his prolific music career, Bono is an avid philanthropist and social entrepreneur. 

In 2002 he co-founded DATA, an AIDS and poverty awareness organization that would go on to create ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History.

Before Bono introduced Stevie Wonder in New York's Global Citizen Festival last year, he performed at the event, whose mission it is to end poverty worldwide.

Centre stage: The U2 lead singer holds impromptu prayer sessions on the family bed and is seen here performing at the 51st annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles in 2009

Bono was one of the invited guests to speak on a panel at the Clinton Global Initiative event in New York City last year and did a spot-on impression of the former US president.

His faith has been an ongoing factor in his advocacy work, and it even cropped up in the lyrics of some of his most famous U2 hits including I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Tomorrow and The Wanderer.

When Bono and his family want to worship, they read Scriptures, go to church or sometimes just pile into bed and pray, he says.

He said: 'We read the scriptures and sometimes we just slip into church as it's ending and find some peace and quiet and say our own prayers.'

Place your bets: U2 singer Bono and his wife Ali Hewson attended the St Stephen's Day luncheon at Leopardstown races in Co Dublin on December 26 last year