Of course
Leibovici, L., “Effects of remote, retroactive intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients with bloodstream infection: randomised controlled trial,” BMJ 2001;323:1450-1451, found that prayer was effective (p < .05).
I’m not sure why (other than materialist bias) the headline should make it a “vs.” There is a strong tradition among Orthodox Christians that the intercessions of St. John Maximovich are effective for healing only in cases where the patient has submitted himself or herself to modern medical care. (There are other saints whose intercessions are held to be effective for healing w/o such a caveat.)
Just took a quick look at the abstract. I’ll check out the references when I have more time. Length of stay was shorter but mortality was unchanged, which strikes me as the more important indicator of efficacy.