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Several weeks ago we viewed and analyzed the video, “Prayer is Superstition” from the people at Why Won’t God Heal Amputees.com.  During that discussion, the comment was made that the video assumed that prayer had absolutely no effect on healing, when in fact, several studies have shown that prayer is effective in these situations.

I had spent some time researching these studies, and for that reason, mentioned during our discussion that these studies were somewhat controversial because many had come to very different conclusions.  Often, this could be attributed to the methodology employed.  For example, if the patient knew they were being prayed for, it would be more difficult to determine whether it was the patient’s knowledge that was the key factor, or whether it was the prayer itself.  

It turns out that we weren’t the only ones exploring the subject.  This month, Christianity Today focused on the issue in the article, “What Do Prayer Studies Prove?”  The article highlights the growing interest in the scientific study of spiritual matters.  Of course, as Christians, we celebrate when a study is conducted that affirms our beliefs.  For example, a 1998 study conducted by Randolph Byrd at the coronary care unit of San Francisco General Hospital found that a group of patients who were prayed for by a group of committed Christians significantly outscored the control group, which was not being prayed for.

But what is our response when these studies go the other way?  Three years ago, a very significant study came to the opposite conclusion.  Predictably, this study did not receive much attention in Christian circles.  The difficulty is that this was likely the most comprehensive and carefully monitored study of its kind.  It was sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation, a faith-friendly organization that funds exploration into the intersection between religion and science.  The study spanned 10 years, was funded by a $2.4 million grant and involved 1,802 patients, the largest group ever studied.  The subjects were three groups of patients who were admitted to the hospital for coronary bypass graft surgery.  Two groups were prayed for by committed Christians, while the third group received no prayer.  Only one of the groups of patients knew that they were receiving prayer.  

In the end, the group that knew it was being prayed for did worse than the other two groups in terms of post-operative complications.  And among the two groups that did not know they were receiving prayer, the one that was unknowingly prayed for did worse that the one that received no prayer.  Not exactly the results that the underwriters of the study wanted to see.  

Critics of the study, including the authors of the study, noted that there may have been some sort of performance pressure on those that knew they were receiving prayer from strangers.  But what about the two groups that did not know that they were receiving prayer?  Some Christians have attempted to point out that simply praying for strangers is not the model of intercessory prayer that is found in the Bible, and that prayers are more effective when we know and care for the persons that we are praying for.  But that would seem to limit effective prayer to only those that we knew and that we could lay hands upon.  It also ignores commands to pray for a whole host of people we do not know.  

So what are we to make of prayer studies?  Some have disputed that we can ever bring any of our scientific methods to spirituality, but that response seems loudest only when those methods come to a conclusion we don’t like.   The authors of the article had a slightly different take:

 “The real scandal of the study is not that the prayed-for group did worse, but that the not-prayed-for group received just as much, if not more, of God’s blessings.  . . .  True to his character, God appears inclined to heal and bless as many as possible.  . . .  Did God answer the prayers of the study’s official prayer teams?  Yes.  But more than that, he answered the prayers of the patients, of their friends and relatives, and perhaps even of those who may not have known they were praying.”

How typical of us to think that only those who were in the “official prayer team” were praying for the patient.  Perhaps we can never study the effect of prayer because we won’t be able to stop people everywhere from praying long enough to isolate who is – and who is not – being prayed for.

It’s easy to see that others can lack perspective.  A child declares that they can’t live without a particular toy, but as adults we smile and assure them that their life can be lived without it.  If only they had our perspective. 

A teenager deals with heartbreak at the end of their first relationship and feels the intense pain that it brings.  They feel they might never love again.  But we assure them that the pain eventually does subside, and that though they can hardly imagine it at the time, they will find love again.  If only they had our perspective.

We struggle with the pressures of life that bear down on us, while others who are facing crippling illness or death remind us of how relatively well off we are and how much life we still have before us.  If only we had their perspective.

Jesus often reminded us in subtle and not-so-subtle ways that we lack His perspective.  We are often self-centered, while He reminded us that we were created to love others as ourselves.  We often cling to our possessions, while He reminded us that everything that was made belongs to the Lord.  We live entirely for this life, while He reminded us that we were also meant to live in anticipation of the life to come in eternity.  We are obsessed with our own needs and desires, but miss the movement of God in the greater stories around us and throughout the arch of our own life story.

We are in anguish over all the pain and suffering and poverty and illness in the world, while He gave us the ability, resources and opportunity to address almost all of those things.  We struggle with doubts and fears and worries, and ignore the truth of an ever-present God who invites us into His presence and into a place where there will be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more worry and no more pain. 

If only we had His perspective.

As we get ready to launch an upcoming series on Questions About Prayer, we asked you to submit the questions that you have about prayer. We got a large number of questions back (over 50 so far) and the list keeps growing. Here is just a sampling of the questions that we’ve received so far. If you think of some others you’d like us to consider, just post a comment or send us an email.

Scripture says that the prayers of the righteous are heard. What does it mean to be righteous? Is there anything Biblical about praying in a group? It seems that Jesus was almost always in solitude for prayer. Are there any advantages to ritual (liturgical) prayers? How often should we pray? Why pray if God already knows what your needs are? Regarding people who have the “gift of intercession,” what does that mean? Are there people whose prayers are heard more than others? Some say prayer is for the purpose of being in conversation with God, but it seems like a one-sided conversation. How can we know the difference between God speaking back to us and our own thoughts (particularly if the voice tells us something we are okay with). Are we supposed to feel anything (some presence, some connection) with God?

How does prayer’s effectiveness relate to God’s sovereignty? Can our prayers change God’s plan? What is the purpose of listening to someone else’s prayer (when someone prays in front of a group)? Is there any point for a non-follower of Christ to pray other than making a commitment? Does fasting make prayer more effective? How do I deal with verses like John 14:12 where God says he will do anything we ask when it seems like he doesn’t? Is there more power in greater numbers of people praying about something? What is the role of the Holy Spirit in prayer? If prayer is the way God’s people petition him to act, if his people don’t pray, does God not act? Is tacking on “if it is your will” to the end of our prayers really just a sign that we really don’t believe that God’s going to do what we ask? What is the difference between being persistent in our petitions (Luke 18) and grumbling (Exodus 16:8)? Does God sometimes answer prayer though a series of “coincidences”? If the purpose of prayer is to get to know God’s character, wouldn’t reading the Bible be more effective?