If there was concrete studies evidence that prayer doesn't work and can make worse, would you still pray?why?

Question

Ok, some good answers thus far. Some people assume much of the asker in the question I see.
How often do you see the power of prayer work?
How often has your prayer been unanswered?
Is there a chance that the person who prays could be spelled preyer?

Answer 1

Prayer like any other of "invocations" to a higher power relies purely on focus and intent. Many people pray but do it "just because" then there are those who truely believe in prayer. The other factor is the reciever of the prayer. You can pray all you want but if the person doesn't wish it then it falls to the ground like so much chaff. If it was shown to actually not work it wouldn't stop me, I am a witch and we don't pray we do spellwork. Although similar it is different.

Answer 2

It doesn't really matter what the studies say...it is amazing the power of the mind. If you believe that prayer helps..and you hear of all these people praying for you and you pray for you..then positive things can happen. There have been cases...in tribes I believe, where it is said that a person is cured sorely by mind power. On the flip end, if you do not believe that you are going to get better and that you laugh in the faces of people who say they will pray for you..then...things will get worse, not better...more often than not.
So...regardless what the rest of the world says...if you believe.. there is no telling how far your mind may let you go. :)

Answer 3

There are plenty of concrete studies showing that prayer can and does in fact work, as long as you believe that it does, so why wouldn't you pray??

Below are just a few of the links that came up when I did a search on Yahoo on the the scientific study of the power of prayer. Feel free to share yours.

Answer 4

I believe all prayers are answered, just not always in the way we expect.
Just yesterday God answered a prayer for me. I had lost something that meant a lot to me, I had been praying about it and asked God if it's to be found, please show me. Not much later, I found what I had lost. God cares even about the smallest things!
But praying is about being close to God, getting to know Him, not just about getting what you want. I love getting to know Him more each day so yes I would still pray!

Answer 5

Prayer should be considered communication with God. People praying to religion or kind of missing the point. Out in the open nature is where I feel best.

Answer 6

I would still pray. I believe that prayer works similar to positive thinking in that if you believe in what you are praying and have faith that the prayer will be met, then there is hope.

If there wasn't hope, what would the point of anything be?

Answer 7

The bible says "pray without ceasing" the question really isn't relevant because prayer does work, and praying does not make things worse. So, yes I would still pray because that's how I talk to my Father.

Answer 8

Prayer and its "working" is an individual choice of criteria, defining what "works" or changes -like Beauty is in the eye of the beholder- faith, prayer and spirituality cannot be controlled or defined by any outside source
I pray for more than seeking an "outcome", its a way to praise, and be grateful for feeling and being cared about-for there being a strength that cannot be found inside of myself.
I choose to have faith and to endure and to hold on to hope and to believe.
I pray to talk to my Higher Source outwardly not just inside my brain.
I pray because Life hands us tasks and challenges that we are not of our own strength and experience capable of enduring, of
existing through while simultaneously staying capable and able to be able to see Joy in the world, life and each day we are given.
I pray because I have Faith, this is not to proclaim my Faith is Perfected, reached its maximum growth or that I lack doubts, it does mean at some point I am willing to trust what my Soul and Heart believes in. To be able to let go of the security of standing on a rock that can be seen, moved, accepted as real- and grab hold of an invisible carpet held up by a Source of Higher of Intelligence; Decency and Love -Idealistic if you may choose to call it. It is truly a LEAP of Faith.
Prayer is one of the few things NO ONE can confiscate, no one can define how to do it, when to do it or limit the contents of.
Some of us don't get a life where we choose to believe in miracles, some of us get a life where we depend upon miracles.

Answer 9

Most definately, we have been raised to believe that prayer is the answer, so no one can change that for me.....evidence or no evidence....after all Jesus prayed and the Lord answered his prayers.....the BIble is concrete proof that prayer existed even before we mankind.....so who are we to question that theory,...

Answer 10

How about if I show you that the Christian church in Korea and China have grown exponentially in the last ten years all due to fervant corporate prayer? There is more evidence that prayer works than there is evidence to the contrary.

D7