Does the Power of Prayer Work?

Question

On Unsolved Mysteries they aired a show where it featured a Dr. from Mayo Clinic, the best hospital in the world which is located in Rochester, MN and it showed how he had two groups of patients, one group was prayed for without them knowing and one group wasn't. In the group that was paid for they had a higher healing rate, required less medications, and had no deaths. I am 30 and a single mother and going back to school full time and I work. Please pray that I prosper and succeed! I believe in the power of prayer. Thanks everyone! Love and Light!

Answer 1

No. And that has *actually* been proven. A study was recently released done on heart patients who'd been prayed for, vs. those who hadn't, and it showed *no* difference in in recovery. However, the group that *knew* they were being prayed for actually faired worse than the other two groups.

"Prayers offered by strangers had no effect on the recovery of people who were undergoing heart surgery, a large and long-awaited study has found.

And patients who knew they were being prayed for had a higher rate of post-operative complications like abnormal heart rhythms, perhaps because of the expectations the prayers created, the researchers suggested.

[....]

At least 10 studies of the effects of prayer have been carried out in the last six years, with mixed results. The new study was intended to overcome flaws in the earlier investigations."

Answer 2

actual! Prayer, and this is power has continuously kept-up with advances, speech, writing, congregating, telephone, television... pcs are not any diverse. with any luck, we use each and everything, all our presents, skills, intelligence, and equipment plausible to attain out for prayer/meditation/the gentle even as needed. This female from Virginia is sending up constructive non secular ideas your mom and your way. My kinfolk and pal will be also after our assembly this nighttime. Many advantages. And it in elementary words takes "...the religion of a grain of mustard seed.". i'm a mountain of religion.

Answer 3

Does Prayer Work? MARK EARLEY


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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.
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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.


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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.

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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.

Answer 4

Yes it does-we often let our faith be tested and think it doesn't because of two main reasons that I've experienced: 1 we're impatient and 2 whatever we asked for wasn't in his plans for us, but trust and believe-and I'm just learning this myself so you're not alone-God doesn't close one door without opening another one and He moves not all the time right at the moment we ask him to but when we NEED him to and He is ALWAYS ON TIME when He does. :)

Answer 5

of course it works.I certainly believe in the power of prayer.I am quite impressed by your attitude to be so responsible and handle a lot of things.Please don`t give up and keep it up.After reading your question I am motivated to do bigger things in life.Don`t worry, you`ll do fine.I`ll specially pray for you so that you succeed in your noble cause.

Answer 6

Well let me share with you what the pastor of my church tells us that if you dont believe it wont happen that even if someone else is praying for you doubt hinders prayer so believe pray for it and I will to and it will happen....

Answer 7

I think it s the power ov possitiv thinking that helps most. A united force ov thousands ov people whu sympathize and supports yu helps. Just the mere knowledge ov your plight helps.So I believe it is a united force ov goodwill that duz it.

Answer 8

I believe in human beings' hyper-conscience power: If a human being focuses on a task with all his/her will, can reach a higher level of awareness (conscience), generating an endless energy capable of affecting events. If more human beings focus on the same task with their full conscience, the effect is much stronger. You call it prayer, I call it 'Omkar'; to you it has to do with God, to me it has to do with human levels of awareness, but the result is the same= it works;)

Answer 9

Yes it works!I can prove it a million times

Answer 10

Yes, if you are praying to the true God, the Father of Jesus.


Be well.