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While many of us believe it to be so, how would someone really know whether prayer worked?
I find it puzzling why some "academics" as they are referred to here, are so anxious to disprove the existence of a higher power.
He's not a tame lion...
"but some prayed-for patients in the study actually fared worse than the unprayed-for ones. "
Sometimes, the answer is no.
That said, I often pray for others as a way to support them and also to benefit from the prayers myself. Of course, I recognize that, being human, all my prayers are most likely for me anyway, despite my attempts to be altruistic with them.
God Bless
I believe in the original study the authors claimed that a group of Evangelical Christians tried to "Fix" the results. I was curious about that statement when I read the first article here at FR. I don't see anyhting about it in this report, which is why I read this post. I guess I need to dig a bit and find out what I really read the first time.
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.”
Why stop there? Why not give God a list of demands? Treat Him like Santa Claus at Christmas?
The Lord's prayer includes "Thy will be done." This is what Christ taught, not this divine bank hold-up used in the "study".
People want God to be Santa Claus, and prayer to work like magic - if I do this ritual, that result will happen.
But it doesn't work like that.
God is interested most in spiritual growth, and we are all the tools in his hands. The seeming no we get from one prayer may be because the caretaker needs to care for us, or because it's time to come home, or because the place we would end up is not the place that would be good for us, or for someone whose life we are going to touch.
Prayer is about relationship, and being open to God, and to sharing our cares, and connecting.
It is not, and never will be x + y = c in a way that the study they did can measure.
This article does not identify the "prayers." THe protestant group was from a Unity church, which is a generally recognized cult that does not specifically even teach in a belief of God. As a former Catholic, I'll withoold my opinion on that group as well. I would also bet that the "Prayers" were paid to pray, which kind if dilutes the fervency of said prayers.
Every single prayer was heard and answered.
HE IS RISEN! Amen! Alive and well and living inside this humble servant, that's for sure!
The Almighty is not deaf.
"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...
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.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD."
Isaiah 55:8
I would contend God hears EVERY prayer, what He chooses to do will be His will, and not ours.