Does prayer work?

[minnieandme]

You often see people ask for others to pray for certain things on their behalf. Does that mean that the more people who pray, the more God takes notice? And surely God knows what problems you've got anyway, so why the need to ask him for help?

I wonder if there are people who have prayed that they'd win the lottery and have? Must be some, surely.

Have you ever had your prayers answered?

To answer your question, according to Matthew 18:19-20:

19Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

20For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Prayers are not necessarily about asking for something, but more of having a conversation with God. Whether it's giving thanks or just talking to Him like you would your best friend. Actually, God wants you to make Him your best friend.

The other question about God knowing your problems, that is true. But he wants to hear it come out of your mouth. It's a way of humbling yourself.

 

[Hedy]

A family friend recently passed away. At her funeral, her son mentioned that her biggest fear was that her medical conditions would lead to a stroke or something similar, greatly decreasing her quality of life. He said that the way she went (asthma attack, under 24 hours in the hospital) made him question the power of her prayer (in a positive way).

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

All I know is I have a deep faith in God and it works for me.

 

[Buckalew11]

A family friend recently passed away. At her funeral, her son mentioned that her biggest fear was that her medical conditions would lead to a stroke or something similar, greatly decreasing her quality of life. He said that the way she went (asthma attack, under 24 hours in the hospital) made him question the power of her prayer (in a positive way).

I think that is nice. However, I think you can hear stories on both sides. My grandfather died of cancer. I remember him saying he had prayered and prayed all his life that he'd never "get like this". Was God forsaking his wish/pray? No, not in my opinion. But I think some people might hear these types of stories and think God loves someone more or something. JMHO.

BTW, I have a client now who say the same exact thing as your family friend. She is so afraid of having a stroke at this point. I hope, for her sake, she is spared that also.

 

[BMNABrinx]

Prayer is faith. I believe in the power of prayer. I was always taught not to pray "selfish" prayers, like those to win a lottery. It is our belief that we pray for God to lead us and for us to have the courage to follow Him. We pray for God's will to be done. I think the way you pray is based on your faith and beliefs. It is not for me to question God when something doesn't go the way I think it should. When I look back over my life I can see the many times that God has had a hand in the things that have happened. It is amazing.

Skeptics will say faith is bogus but to us God is Real and is a loving God who knows our needs and fulfills them in a way that is best for us. The words to my favorite hymn have brought me strength many times: "I don't know about tomorrow, but I know who holds my hand."

 

[smartestnumber5]

If the question is whether prayer in which people ask for concrete, tangible changes in the world actually results in those changes happening at a greater frequency than would otherwise be expected, the answer (according to recent scientific studies) is no:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/health/31pray.html?ex=1301461200&en=4acf338be4900000&ei=5088

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.

Because it is the most scientifically rigorous investigation of whether prayer can heal illness, the study, begun almost a decade ago and involving more than 1,800 patients, has for years been the subject of speculation.
.
.
.
In the study, the researchers monitored 1,802 patients at six hospitals who received coronary bypass surgery, in which doctors reroute circulation around a clogged vein or artery.

The patients were broken into three groups. Two were prayed for; the third was not. Half the patients who received the prayers were told that they were being prayed for; half were told that they might or might not receive prayers.

The researchers asked the members of three congregations — St. Paul's Monastery in St. Paul; the Community of Teresian Carmelites in Worcester, Mass.; and Silent Unity, a Missouri prayer ministry near Kansas City — to deliver the prayers, using the patients' first names and the first initials of their last names.

The congregations were told that they could pray in their own ways, but they were instructed to include the phrase, "for a successful surgery with a quick, healthy recovery and no complications."

Analyzing complications in the 30 days after the operations, the researchers found no differences between those patients who were prayed for and those who were not.

I don't think anyone's studied the lottery, but I assume things would come out similarly.

If you do figure out a way to raise your chances of winning the lottery above the normal probabilities, though, let me know!

 

[missypie]

A couple of things: With the way the world is ordered, with time, families, limited resources, etc., people have to die. If everyone whose friends or families prayed for them to be healed actually lived, there would be millions and millions more people on this earth...some of them a thousand years old or more. So God has to take everyone at some point. No matter how many people pray for great grandma to live, at some point she's going to die.

Here is something that I read that has, unfortunately, stuck with me. A few months ago, Newsweek interviewed Rick Warren (the Purpose Driven Life guy) and some athiest (whose name I can't remember). They were talking about prayer and the athiest said that Christians only pray for certain things....things that they think are "possible." His example was that if a child lost an arm in an accident, no one would pray for the limb to grow back. He said that we all know that if you took every Christian in the country and had them pray for the arm to grow back, it still wouldn't grow back.

And that is true. We Christians like to say that all things are possible for God...yet there are certain things we don't pray for, because we "know" that they are "not possible." I don't have an answer to that.

 

[Kath2003]

I don't believe in a higher power so I don't believe that prayer changes anything. I do, however, believe that prayer "works" psychologically.

 

[Micca]

Hey, if it works for you...

 

[kendodd]

They were talking about prayer and the athiest said that Christians only pray for certain things....things that they think are "possible." His example was that if a child lost an arm in an accident, no one would pray for the limb to grow back. He said that we all know that if you took every Christian in the country and had them pray for the arm to grow back, it still wouldn't grow back.

That's true. God could do that easily. Why doesn't he?

 

[Hedy]

I think that is nice. However, I think you can hear stories on both sides. My grandfather died of cancer. I remember him saying he had prayered and prayed all his life that he'd never "get like this". Was God forsaking his wish/pray? No, not in my opinion. But I think some people might hear these types of stories and think God loves someone more or something. JMHO.

BTW, I have a client now who say the same exact thing as your family friend. She is so afraid of having a stroke at this point. I hope, for her sake, she is spared that also.

That's why I tend to be cynical about these things, but I figured the thought was topical.

 

[tropical depression]

Without faith I'm not sure how people move on....

by dealing with reality, and not asking for some invisible entity to change it or the outcome of the situation you're dealing with.

 

[Chicago526]

I seem to remember that there was a study done a few years ago where a group of people prayed for another group of people who were ill, with a control group of ill people that weren't being prayed for. The group of ill people being prayed for did overall better health-wise than the control group that were not being prayed for.

At any rate, I think it certainly doesn't hurt, and may just help, so go for it!

 

[Pigeon]

The rigorous studies that have been done on the affects of prayer on medical outcomes have largely not shown a positive outcome.

When I went through my battle with cancer, I got offers of prayers from Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and Wiccans. I cheerfully accepted them all, but never believed that they actually had any affect on my illness. What they did do, however, was make me smile to know that so many people were thinking of me when I needed them.

 

[John VN]

You often see people ask for others to pray for certain things on their behalf. Does that mean that the more people who pray, the more God takes notice? And surely God knows what problems you've got anyway, so why the need to ask him for help?

I wonder if there are people who have prayed that they'd win the lottery and have? Must be some, surely.

Have you ever had your prayers answered?

Same question I asked some time ago.

Before we moved to Fl. there was a segment on the news about a N.J. man who won a $40,000,000 lotto. He said he took the ticket and stuck it in his bible and prayed to win. Worked for him.

Years ago I remember many NASCAR race winners praising the Lord and then thanking God for a safe race. Haven't heard nearly as much of that since DE died at Daytona.

Many times you hear the praises after a tornado rips apart a house and the family members are OK. The people mention that they prayed and their prayers were answered yet their neighbors in the same town probably were praying just as hard and they died.

Six weeks ago we were in a car accident where many people said we were lucky to have survived. I did not say a prayer thanking for our health, instead I said a prayer for other people who would be in an accident or have someone they know be on one. The next day I read a post on a forum I frequent by a man who had the wife of his best friend killed by a drunk driver a few hours after we had our accident.

People have responded about praying for strength and guidance and communication with God. I look within for the strength and guidance I need. As far as communicating, I talk to myself and work things out. If things do not go the way I hoped, oh well it is what it is. I do not have to rely on the thought that a prayer was answered but it was just not the way I wanted it to be answered.

Seems that many people feel better praying for others and having others pray for them or loved ones. I have no problem with that, evidently it is what they need to make it through life.

 

[jimmiej]

Have you ever had your prayers answered?

All my prayers are answered. But, just like when I dealt with my own children, the answer was yes, no, or wait. Skeptics will say that proves nothing. However, to me, God is as real as the nose on my face.

 

[ead79]

I very much believe in the power of prayer. God has answered so many prayers in such powerful ways in my life. Of course, they have not always been answered the way I had in mind, but so often that turned out to be much better for me in the long run. Sometimes my prayers have been answered so dramatically that I am just amazed at how personally God cares for me and meets my needs. I believe that prayer is a gift--a chance to talk to my Savior and grow into a closer relationship with Him. As far as people praying for other people, I think it blesses both the person praying and the one being prayed for. I know it brings me great comfort to have others praying for me and that it draws me closer to God when I pray for others.

 

[jamimb]

I absolutely believe prayer works! As many others have said the answer is not always yes. I have had very specific prayers answered in the past with amazing results. When I was pregnant with my second child my sister was pregnant with her first. she misscarried and I didnt. she was heartbroken and somewhat jealous of the fact that I was still pregnant(she had being trying for years) I knew that it would get harder once my child was born and she was still trying to conceive so I prayed almost everyday for 6 months that she would be able to conceive a child before my child was born. The day my dd was born she find out she was pregnant. God always has a way of amazing me. I prayed she would conceive before my child was born and my prayer was answered and she found out the day dd was born. If it had been any other day it might not have had as much impact on us all. It was a happy day for our family! I have had lots of very specific prayers answered. Just recently I had to fly (I am terrified to fly) I was so scared I thought I was going to throw up . As the plane took off I prayed and prayed and was amazed at the peace and calm that just swept over me. I started to cry and my husband thought it was because I was scared and then I told him I was crying for joy! God is so amazing!

 

[Disney Doll]

Depends on what you pray for.

Prayer is a way for people who want to help, but maybe can't, feel like they are doing something. Plus, I do believe God hears prayers, although He may not always grant the prayers.

I know I feel better after I pray. It helps me focus and relax.

But, God is not like a big puppetmaster, pulling strings here and there because someone wants something.

My theory is that it can't hurt and it might help and it's something that can be done without bothering anyone else.

 

[robinb]

I don't believe in prayer as I'm an atheist. However, I do like to think there is some positive energy that flows to the person asking for the prayer because many people are thinking about that person all at once. When someone asks for prayer I stop and send them good thoughts and good wishes, I don't ask some deity to do something.