Power of prayer overrated?
MALCOLM RITTER

Associated Press

New York — Does praying for a sick person's recovery do any good?

In the largest scientific test of its kind, heart surgery patients showed no benefit when strangers prayed for their recovery.

And patients who knew they were being prayed for had a slightly higher rate of complications. Doctors could only guess why.

Several scientists questioned the concept of the study.

The researchers emphasized that their $2.4-million study could not address whether God exists or answers prayers made on another's behalf. The study could look only for an effect from the specific prayers offered as part of the research, they said.

The study “did not move us forward or backward” in understanding the effects of prayer, said Dr. Charles Bethea, a co-author and cardiologist at the Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City. “Intercessory prayer under our restricted format had a neutral effect.”

Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard Medical School, co-principal investigator of the study, agreed. “We cannot come to a conclusion, except to say that by this study design, with its limitations, this is what we found,” he said.

Researchers also said they didn't know why patients who knew they were being prayed for had a higher rate of complications than patients who only knew that such prayers were a possibility.

Maybe they became anxious given the knowledge they'd been selected for prayers, Dr. Bethea said: “Did the patients think, 'I am so sick that they had to call in the prayer team?”'

The researchers said family and friends shouldn't be discouraged from telling a patient about their plans to pray for a good recovery. The study only focused on prayers by strangers, they said.

It's the largest and best-designed study ever to test the medical effects of intercessory prayers — praying on behalf of someone else.

The study followed about 1,800 patients at six medical centres. It was financed by the Templeton Foundation, which supports research into science and religion, and one of the participating hospitals. It will appear in Tuesday's issue of the American Heart Journal.

The research team tested the effect of having three Christian groups pray for particular patients, starting the night before surgery and continuing for two weeks. The volunteers prayed for “a successful surgery with a quick, healthy recovery and no complications” for specific patients — their identities known only by first name and first initial of the last name.

The patients, meanwhile, were split into three groups of about 600 apiece: those who knew they were being prayed for, those who were prayed for but only knew it was a possibility, and those who weren't prayed for but were told it was a possibility.

The researchers didn't ask patients or their families and friends to alter any plans they had for prayer, saying such a step would have been unethical and impractical.

The study looked for any complications within 30 days of the surgery. Results showed no effect of prayer on complication-free recovery. But 59 per cent of the patients who knew they were being prayed for developed a complication, versus 52 per cent of those who were told it was just a possibility.

Thank God for un-answered prayers. Sometimes prayers are unanswered for a reason.
I'm happy with my life right now, and with my current girlfriend. I can only thank God for not answering a prayer I made a long time ago, asking to keep me and my old girlfriend together. If he would have done that, I'd still be stuck in an unhealthy relationship.

I'm sure some prayers are not answered for a reason.

Thank God for un-answered prayers. Sometimes prayers are unanswered for a reason.
I'm happy with my life right now, and with my current girlfriend. I can only thank God for not answering a prayer I made a long time ago, asking to keep me and my old girlfriend together. If he would have done that, I'd still be stuck in an unhealthy relationship.

I'm sure some prayers are not answered for a reason.

Zero wait a second here, okay let me see if i understand this did god answered your prayer by sending you a new girlfriend? or did god prevent you from staying toghther becasue you didn't know better...How do you know it was an 'unanswereed prayer??if you have this relationship with 'god' why don't you know???I am just curious???? It doesn't seem clear to me.....

blue you agreed so is this a common occurance with your 'god' to be vague about which prayers get answered or its not up to you??? You aren't living your own life?????????
This brings in the Free will question for me now....

No, we often times give something in our lives to God to handle because we need guidance on which is the wise choice to make. I had dated a girl for about 6 months. After 2 months of dating her, she flipped and started playing all these games and putting on all these shows. The truth is she didn't know what she wanted and I did. I wanted to love her and she thought love was overrated. So after so many months of arguing, I decided that it wasn't wise to stick with her. However, I had prayed constantly that God help us in our relationship, but it only got worse. About 6 months after we broke up, I met another girl that was perfect for me and I was perfect for her. We dated 5 months before we got married and we have been married for 4 months. If I had decided to stick it through and hope that she would have changed, I could have been very miserable. So, had God answered my prayer and helped my exgf and me in our relationship, I would not have met my wife and had done the awesome things we've done together.

What do you mean by prayer? Wait, let me guess - asking God for something. What about just simply talking to God, discussing your day, thanking Him. Prayer doesn't have to be specifically asking God to help us with something.

That aside though, when I pray at night, one of the things I pray for is people in the world who are sick or injured or hurting. I know I am not the only person that does this. So, however you look at it, everyone is being prayed for in some manner or form, even those that don't know it.

Just a thought.

Regards, PA

The 4 types of Prayer darling are:

A -Adoration

C-Confession

T- Thanksgiving

S- Suplication.

Yay this is what I discussed with my girls at church the other night. LOL
But yes you may say prayer is overated- but wouldn't you say worry is also?

If we worry all the time wouldn't that be just as bad as relying soley on prayer. LOL

Let me just say sometimes I pray just so I don't worry as much.

101 you have piqued my interest here can you break this down, confession and supplicating can you give more detail thanks......

Adoration - worship, giving glory to God, praising God.....

Confession - confessing our sins. The times we haven't done what God wishes, the times we have treated other people wrong. We tell God about them. Pray that we stop doing those things in the future.

Thanksgiving - Thankfulness for things we have. Family, friends, life, events, teachings, anything that affects our lives, we thank God for.

Supplication - Asking God for his help (people who are sick for example). There are infinite things we can ask for, though for obvious reasons God isn't going to give us everything we ask for.

There's a reason supplication is at the end of this list (besides that the acronym wouldn't work otherwise ). Yet when praying many people ignore the first three and jump right to the end.

Regards, PA