Crossword Genius

Chance by holding onto beam (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

prayer

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'chance' is the definition.
(I have seen 'Small chance' mean 'prayer' so perhaps 'chance' could also mean 'prayer')

'by holding onto beam' is the wordplay.
I cannot really understand how this works, but
'beam' could be 'ray' (synonyms) and 'ray' is found within the answer.
'by' could be 'per' (I've seen this in another clue) and 'per' is present in the remaining letters.
No letters remain.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for prayer that I've seen before include "Request (maybe to God)" , "Invocation, entreaty" , "Plea, invocation" , "Words to a deity" , "Earnest hope" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
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