If prayer works, why isn't the rate of survival higher among Christians?

Question

In other words, Christians seem to be dying off at the same rate as everybody else, for the same reasons (disease, accidents, murder, etc).

Answer 1

Good point.

In the bible it says in James 5:14:
"Is anyone among you ill? Let him send for the rulers of the church; and let them say prayers over him, putting oil on him in the name of the Lord."

If all it takes is prayer to be healed (which as you mentioned, doesn't seem to work in their favour), then why do they even go to doctors in first place?

Answer 2

FEAR is the answer
ya gotta have a analytical view of Christianity to really understand the answer to your question

Christians are taught that they need to pray to God/Jesus/whatever for miracles
but they are also most heavily programmed with fear-of-the-deciever
and if prayers are ever answered then it must be the devil that answered the prayer and the 'prayer' although no longer burnt at the stake for being able to fanangle an answer to the prayer the poor 'prayer' is riddled with doubt and uncertainty and all sorts of stress wondering if he got favors from some God or some Devil
of course since sinners are taught that they are wortless and doomed then of course they end up believing
the debil musta bin trickin them
so they run to the meds
and of course those who own the religions at the upper levels are the same ones that own the med companies
and they are the real debils that create meds with enough side effects to put ya six feet under
and at that point you is no problemo
dead liko everyone else

Answer 3

Prayer works, but the answer may not be what people want to hear.

Life is all about learning and proving to be worthy of eternal reward.
When a student is taking a test, should the examiner stop the student from giving th ewrong answers, or should the examiner let the student make the mistake.

If God shows up each time someone doing bad, or doing good, how would we know that any of us is truely living righteously or not?

Answer 4

In a recent study, hospitalized people who knew they were being prayed for actually did WORSE.

"Yes", "no", and "wait" are the exact same answers you might "receive" after praying to a lucky horseshoe, or to a jug of milk. BELIEF in a god is a powerful thing, even if by all available evidence the god is no more effective than an imaginary one.

[Edit:] Yes, prayer's effects as reflection, meditation, or therapy are real; it's still up to us to DO something, or see how best to deal with the situation -- which might mean finding the silver lining; or working to improve it!
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Someone else said "I know a lot of people think praying is gay...."
Using "gay" for "weak" or "ineffective" or "stupid" is at best ignorant, at worst mean. Please say what you mean without insulting entire groups.

Answer 5

People who think praying will grant you wishes do not understand what praying is actually for.

Praying just helps oneself. It doesn't make your wishes come true.

This question sounds like a "strike" against Christians, but even other religions, such as Buddhism. I meditate daily, different from Prayer, but some prayer does make it into my Meditation sessions. If I wish my dead relatives well, by all means, what harm is there in that? Are you against that?

I know a lot of people think praying is gay but the stems from a lack of understanding which causes anger. If you weren't angry or bothered by praying, this question and others like it would never exist.

Answer 6

It's not God's will at all. God's will for us was to live forever on Earth (Adam) but when Adam messed it up by listening to Satan, God gave the world over to prove to us what happens when we give in to temptation.

The Bible clearly shows that an intelligent, unseen person has been controlling both men and nations. It says: "The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one." And the Bible identifies him, saying: "The one called Devil and Satan . . . is misleading the entire inhabited earth."—1 John 5:19; Revelation 12:9.

On an occasion when Jesus was "tempted by the Devil," Jesus did not question Satan's role as the ruler of this world. The Bible explains what happened: "The Devil took him along to an unusually high mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory, and he said to him: 'All these things I will give you if you fall down and do an act of worship to me.' Then Jesus said to him: 'Go away, Satan!'"—Matthew 4:1, 8-10.

Think about this. Satan tempted Jesus by offering him "all the kingdoms of the world." Yet, would Satan's offer have been a real temptation if Satan was not actually the ruler of these kingdoms? No, it would not. And note, Jesus did not deny that all these worldly governments were Satan's, which he would have done if Satan did not have power over them. So, then, Satan the Devil really is the unseen ruler of the world! The Bible, in fact, calls him "the god of this system of things." (2 Corinthians 4:4)

Answer 7

Everybody dies, so there's no getting around that.
But studies have shown that the recovery rate from illness is improved by prayer. Some people who are officially Christians may not avail themselves of this benefit, however.

Answer 8

Why are you asking a question you dont really want the answer too? You just going to keep on thinking in doubt. I think that People come to this earth for different purposes, We never know what will happen, but god does. Angels may save you a hundred times without you even knowing. I dont think you really care but i said it anyhow.. have a great day!

Answer 9

Yeah, but how many Christians have won the Superbowl? And the World Series? And the Indy 500?

*Edit* -- I wonder if any of these thumbs-up are coming from people who think I'm being serious, and see no problem with this statement whatsoever.

Answer 10

I think that a prayer can help the person (or persons) you are praying for but I'm not sure it could prevent some one from dying