What's your take on the ineffectiveness of prayer question?

Question

This question was posed:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070622060152AAFoyaR&r=w

It is based on this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/health...

Of those responders who clearly appear unable to accept the validity of the study's results, do you think their opinions are fair and objective?
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I was told that one of the above link to the news article doesn't work... Here's a better one, (I hope):

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/health/31pray.html?ex=1182657600&en=fb6a9883caa42f93&ei=5070
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Answer 1

Of course they do not accept it. Because it proves they are wrong.

If it had proved they were right they would endorse scientific method wholeheartedly. Instead they say things like "i know it works" and "it works for me" etc.

Proof by anecdote - or worse by rabid ranting - is no proof at all.

Here is a study that meets all the accepted principle for testing claims such as "prayer works" and its result is that it actually makes things worse.

All I can say is make sure no-one ever prays for you - its unsafe.

Answer 2

The reason so many people's prayers go unanswered is solidly dealt with in the Book of James. They ask for all the wrong reasons. Some people pray because deep down inside they have a secret doubt, and what they offer up in prayer is a thinly veiled and disguised "prove "me" right" attitude to confirm their so-called faith.
These people will never receive an answer to ANY prayer that doesn't first recognize that all such requests must be made with recognition of God's Sovereignty. I personally have never had a prayer go unanswered. I answered a question two weeks ago in which I related an account of such a prayer on behalf of a dear friend which is all very real and very true. As for the article, I had a real good laugh. That's like the Russian astronauts in I believe 1964 who came back from a Soyuz space mission and told their beloved Kruschev that they looked all over in outer-space for God and found Him nowhere. Such blindeness was the reason, I believe, James was written. That article has no validity whatsoever when one considers the thousands of prayers that have been answered where all natural laws were suspended, and something that shouldn't have happened according to such laws, did. They just don't make the evening news. Even Christ told those He released from whatever dis-ease to remain silent about it, and instead offer thanks to God. He didn't say, "Contact Channel 6 News immediately!!". There is a reason for that.

Answer 3

One key aspect that has been left out of this report is the patients' attitude toward being prayed for. Whatever the results, I think this missing piece of information is key. Who were they? What did they believe/think about prayer, about being prayed for? The report doesn't say. Leaving out the key factor of the patients' attitude in the ordeal is suspicious. For example, if all those being prayed for were resistant, this would be a key influencing factor. If part of the group being tested were fully participatory in the prayer, this would hypothetically affect the results. If the results are the same, so be it, but it needs to be part of the report. If it wasn't part of the study, it is a flawed study. Can anyone shed light on this?

Answer 4

I know though to have hope, can increase your chances of survival often people who dont have hope die quicker in certain situations. I do think prair gives you hope and other people and often make you aware and alert more, and deal with what is going on. I dont think God answers prairs, but possitive thinking makes you focus. see because if God could answer all the prairs then not so many poeple would die of cancer... or other illnesses.

just to add, Im sure they will prove it does work in a year time and then again it doesnt, bit like 10 years ago they predicted an ice age was coming due to green house gasses blocking out the sun! now it is reverse... and yet im bloody freezing! we dont usually have this many frosts a year! whats up with that!

Answer 5

Opinions is the key word here. They answered out of there own life experience. Many of them said they experienced prayer working! You can't compare that to a study. Its just personal experience. Here's the thing: you can't believe in prayer if you don't believe in God. God is the one with the power to heal.

Why are you so much quicker to believe a newspaper article than people's opinions?

Answer 6

Many people have a distorted idea of prayer, prayer isn't about us. Prayer is more about us aligning ourselves with God's will, than him jumping to our commands.

I'm not sure what other religions teach, but the Bible never promises that our prayers will be answered the way we want them to be answered. And, that is why a Christian prayer should end with "God's will be done..." as that is a biblical version of a proper prayer. People who think prayer is about them will be disappointed.

Prayer is about alignment with God, not us getting stuff.

Answer 7

From my own personal study I may conclude that people may not experience effectiveness in prayer for one or more of the following reasons: prayer...

1). is not real christian
2). lives in sin
3). does not believe God is capable of answering
4). does not pray enough
5). does not believe God is willing to listen
6). asks something wrong
7). God chooses not to listen for unknown reasons
8). they're purpose is wrong

I may notice that people conducting the study and the subject on which the prayer should be effective on, had a great luck in they're believe.

Answer 8

Prayer is merely putting words out to the universe and having faith that the universe will provide you with everything you need.

Truth is, what we think, what we say ultimately create our reality. We have more power than we realize. God has given us this power, but people have doubts of what they really can do.

When it comes to "religion" peoples opinions are going to be just that, opinions. You wont get fair or objective responses usually because people are speaking from emotions. Their right to do so, you don't have to agree with them.

Answer 9

Well I will not say that this study is biased, those are the findings they got. But I just beg to differ...people who have gotten good benefit as a result of prayer will not be swayed...whether it was placebo effect or metaphysical...they got better when people prayed...and that is convincing....

Answer 10

Just goes to show that too many people misunderstand prayer and its significance, and try to use prayer for the wrong things. All that study basically showed is that you can't use a screwdriver to weld a rivet into an I-bar. Prayer is not magic.