Posted on 04/13/2006 8:24:36 AM PDT by Mr. Silverback
Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley.
The headlines seemed almost triumphal in tone.
“Prayer Doesn’t Aid Recovery, Study Finds.” That was the Washington Post. “Long-Awaited Medical Study Questions the Power of Prayer.” That was the New York Times.
Both papers were describing a study designed to determine the power of prayer. Not only did it show that prayer apparently makes no difference, but some prayed-for patients in the study actually fared worse than the unprayed-for ones.
The research, led by Jeffery Dusek of the Harvard Medical School, involved 1,802 heart-bypass patients. One-third were told they would be prayed for (but they weren’t), one-third were told they might receive prayer, and one-third were told they would definitely be prayed for. Catholics and Protestants who agreed to pray for certain patients were told to ask for “a successful surgery with a quick, healthy recovery and no complications.”
Patients in the two groups that did not know if anyone was praying for them had about the same rate of complications—52 percent—regardless of whether they were being prayed for. But 59 percent of the patients who knew they were being prayed for suffered complications.
The researchers were quick to downplay the unexpected results. Knowing they were being prayed for may have led to stress among patients, they noted. And as one doctor put it, “Did the patients think, ‘I am so sick they had to call in the prayer team?’”
Naturally, some observers were delighted at the results. They think the study proves conclusively that prayer doesn’t work, and it’s time for men of science to “stop dabbling in the supernatural,” as one academic put it.
But wait a minute. The researchers acknowledged that they could not control for the fact that many “unauthorized” people may have interceded for loved ones in the so-called “unprayed-for” group. And plenty of other studies indicate that intercessory prayer does have an impact.
But perhaps the study’s biggest flaw involves how the results were interpreted. Christians know that there are three possible answers to prayer: “Yes,” “no,” and “wait.” The Harvard study measured only the “yes” answers. But just because we don’t get the answer we’re looking for does not mean God is not listening or answering.
We are given a glorious example of this truth by Jesus Himself. On the night before His arrest, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, an agonized Jesus asked God to remove the cup that was before Him. He prayed that He would not have to go to the Cross. And yet, not long afterward, Jesus did die on the Cross.
To a modern researcher, this is the perfect example of a prayer that went unanswered. But we know that God did answer this prayer. He answered it in a way that led, over the next twenty centuries, to salvation for millions. And on Easter Sunday, millions of Christians around the world will thank God for answering it the way He did.
Yes, Jesus died on the Cross. But He rose again on the third day. And thanks to that so-called “unanswered prayer,” you and I can say this Easter, “Hallelujah! Christ is risen!”
And no matter what the researchers tell us, we know we can trust God to hear, and answer, every prayer.
"He prayed that He would not have to go to the Cross."
Okay, Mr. Mark Early. The above statement proves that you don't have a clue about much of anything.
-First and foremost, that was not what Jesus Christ was praying for, you dumbo! Get your facts straight if you are going to put things in print. He prayed, that the FATHER would not discontinue their personal relationship, while he suffered the agony of scourging and crucifixion...
Yes. The problem some people have is they ask and never hear the answer.
I KNOW prayer works. 20 years ago, I was involved in a custody fight for my sons (in the democratic peoples republic of California, where it is still almost impossible for the dad to win custody).
Through the power of my prayers and countless others, I did win custody of my children. The good lord provided me with a winning lottery scratcher ticked worth $25000.oo to continue the fight just when I was out of resources. It provided enough finances to prevail.
The day before the winning ticket, I received $16.94 from the sale of the family home, my ex got the rest of the proceeds.
If this is the case, do you believe it's possible to construct an experiment to see whether or not prayer is effective? It seems to me that no matter what happens, people who believe in prayer will believe that the prayer was answered in one way or another, those who don't won't believe it without convincing evidence of effectiveness.
Yep. But none of my Christian charity will find it's way to you...
Always.
Of course an experiment can't be conducted to gauge God. The only people who think it can be done see God as George Lucas's Force. If you truly believe He is a sentient being far beyond our understanding, how can you possibly think you could make Him do YOUR will?
One way I heard it put was: "Sometimes God says No so He can say an even greater Yes later." I know there are prayers that have been answered 'no' for me, and I am probably closer to God now than I ever would have been without that 'no.'
Ward Churchill is a perfect example of what I speak of.
Science deals with the physical world. God is Spirit. Therefore, science is not an appropriate tool with which to evaluate God's interactions with this world.
In other words, scientific experiments having to do with God are a waste of time.
*Luke 22:42
Matthew 5:22
But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,'* is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
*'Idiot'
That's one way of looking at it. For me, it's just recognizing that whether God is Spirit or physical (as in Jesus), He is sentient. You can't look at empirical actions based on petitions with an assumed motive as the basis of a scientific experiment.
> I find it puzzling why some "academics" as they are referred to here, are so anxious to disprove the existence of a higher power.
What I find puzzling is your belief that that was their goal. Consider two possibilities:
1) The researchers find no correlation between prayer and effect. Result: Shrug.
2) Researchers find Evidence Of God. Result: Nobel prizes all 'round. Buckets of money. Scientific knowledge of a staggering order. Groupies. Some idea regarding eternal life.
Scientists are humans. The results of #2 would be more appealing than #1.
> If you truly believe He is a sentient being far beyond our understanding, how can you possibly think you could make Him do YOUR will?
A question I ask Christians all the time regardign their prayers. No good answers yet.
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