Pierce from Dallas, asks, “What is the difference...between “prayer” and the acquisition of strength/energy through meditation or deep and total spiritual immersion? When a friend...tells me that they will “pray for me” ...I always accept their offering as an act of good karma, regardless of whether I believe in the source from which they are drawing. ...
“Or...in your opinion, are such notions that the generation of positive energy (ergo positive results), through thought or meditation or prayer...simply fool’s gold?...I recently spoke with...a friend who is two years beyond breast cancer -- and she insisted that “the Lord Jesus Christ Our Savior” was solely responsible for her recovery.
“I suggested that her inherent strength and fortitude and mental acuity, combined with her doctors’ expertise were the reason for her recovery. Needless to say, my suggestion was blasphemous in her mind.
“Jesus was the sole reason for her success. I was told that “until you experience the grace of God in your life, you cannot know what it means.” I must confess, I was rendered a little bit envious by her confidence in this god that no one can see, and it made me wonder if I somehow got on the wrong bus somewhere along the way. Even though, during the conversation, I felt as though I was listening to an 8 year-old tell me about how cool Santa Claus is, I couldn’t help but wonder if she knew something I didn’t know.”
Dear Pierce, We first need to note that there are two distinct types of prayer—intercessory (prayer for others) and personal. The most recent study* of intercessory prayer showed prayer to be of absolutely no benefit for the prayed for, and in fact, those prayed for experienced slightly more complications than the other groups (believed caused by the stress of feeling their condition was dire enough to warrant prayer).
Personal prayer—whether to “Jesus,” “Allah,“ “St. Patrick,” or “Zeus,” has clearly helped many cope with life’s difficulties, though evidence would suggest any benefits are simply a placebo effect since praying to any god, or a jug of milk for that matter, can produce the same results. But belief in a God who answers prayers also has a dark side as it may lead people to forego medical treatment (their own or their children’s) resulting in needless suffering and death. And when prayer fails, believers may feel rejected—wondering if they’re not worthy, are being punished, didn’t pray properly or didn’t have enough faith.
* $2.4 million study was funded by the John Templeton Foundation
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