LAWRENCE - As worshippers raised their arms to the sky and asked God for the safe return home of Army Spc. Alex Jimenez, the 25-year-old's friends and family were learning that at least one of their prayers may have been answered.

DNA tests confirmed yesterday that the remains of an unidentified soldier killed in an ambush last weekend in Iraq did not belong to Jimenez.

But it is still believed that Jimenez, a member of the 2nd Brigade of the Army's 10th Mountain Division, could be in the hands of terrorists linked to al-Qaida.

So now the prayers are focusing more on asking God for the soldier to be safely released or rescued, Victor Jarvis, pastor of the Ebenezer Christian Church in downtown Lawrence, said last night.

Though he doesn't know Jimenez, Jarvis still said a special five-minute prayer for the soldier during a service at his Pentecostal church last night.

"We have a young man, a soldier, in Iraq. He is from this land," Jarvis said from the pulpit, pointing his finger into the air to emphasize how strongly he felt.

"We want to pray for a miracle," he said. "I would like to make a prayer, for Alex Jimenez and for his family, for his friends, and for every people in Iraq."

As he prayed, more than 60 people in the congregation held hands or raised their arms into the air, swaying from side to side as they called out their hallelujahs in both English and Spanish.

"Praise the Lord," some said.

"Amen," cried out others.

It was a scene that is expected to repeat itself through the city tomorrow, as churches of all denominations plan to add Jimenez to their prayers during regular Sunday services. Jarvis said many other ministers in Lawrence have talked to him about offering special prayers for the soldier and his family.

"This situation touches us," he said. "I'm very touched."

The situation has also touched the soldiers who are in Iraq looking for Jimenez and the two other missing soldiers. The searchers say they are more determined than ever to find their comrades.

"We'll find them," said Lt. Col. Michael Infanti, who was trying to boost the morale of troops involved in the ongoing search.

"This ain't over," he said. "This ain't over by a long shot."

One of the searchers, Sgt. Jose Atilano of Washington state, said he has barely slept since the search began.

"We are going to keep going until we find them," he said. "If I were in their shoes, I would hope my battle buddies would do the same for me."

Soldiers in Iraq learned yesterday that DNA testing had positively identified the fourth soldier killed in the Saturday attack. He was Sgt. Anthony J. Schober, 23, of Reno, Nev., according to relatives who spoke to the Reno Gazette Journal. Schober was on his third tour in Iraq.

The other missing soldiers are Pvt. Byron Fouty, 19, of Waterford, Mich., and Pfc. Joseph Anzack Jr., 20, of Torrance, Calif.

The three were last seen before a pre-dawn ambush Saturday that destroyed several Humvees in a U.S. convoy and killing four Americans and an Iraqi soldier traveling with them.

Even if the three are dead, soldiers said that the families back home needed to know what happened to their loved ones.

As they wait for those answers, Jimenez's family has been leaning heavily on their faith and praying for a miracle. Jimenez, a Catholic, is deeply religious, according to those who know him.

The door of his Water Street apartment is adorned with a poster quoting from the Bible. One of the quotes describes a man who is blessed because he follows the laws of God:

"For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish."

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.