The Hill News

Delaware GOP Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell suggested Monday that the power of prayer contributed to a bump for her in the polls.

O'Donnell, a devout Catholic who's frequently invoked her faith in her run for Senate and in other aspects of her public life, linked a prayer group's event for her to a poll showing her making up ground against her challenger, Democrat Chris Coons.

"The day that we saw a spike in the polls was a day that some people had a prayer meeting for me that morning for this campaign so I believe that prayer plays a direct role in this campaign and I always ask please pray for the campaign; please pray for our staff; please pray specifically that the eyes of the voters be opened," O'Donnell explained in an interview with "The Brody File" on the Christian Broadcasting Network.

O'Donnell was referring to a Rasmussen Reports poll released last week that suggested she had nearly halved the lead Coons had maintained over her. That poll found Coons still comfortably ahead, though, leading O'Donnell, 51-40 percent. Her campaign has trumpeted that poll as an example of a surge in support for O'Donnell in the closing weeks of the campaign.

The Delaware conservative has previously suggested faith plays a direct role in her campaign. She'd told CBN, before a temporary, self-imposed! blackout in the national media, that it was her belief that God would not let her quit her primary challenge to centrist GOP Rep. Mike Castle. (O'Donnell eventually prevailed with the backing of the Tea Party movement, and national figures like former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.)

O'Donnell spoke more about the role of faith in her campaign this week.

"I know that God called me to this. We’ll tackle that last part after November 3rd but I truly believe in the power of prayer," she said. "I believe in the power of declaring and that’s what we’re doing. We’re praying every day and we see it working.”