Christians, please quit praying!!

Don't ya have any common sense? (Sheesh!)

A study done a week or two ago, apparently "found" that the power of prayer does not affect anyones life in any way, either positively or negatively. Now, I'm not saying we can alter God's eternal will by prayer, but on the other hand, how can one read the Bible and deny the power of prayer? What are Christians supposed to do? Because some study in the US of A has had no positive results from the recovery of a group of patients by prayer.

A couple of excerpts from the study:

Having people pray for heart bypass patients had no effect on their recoveries in an American study, researchers say.

Three Christian groups were asked to pray for particular patients, starting the night before their surgeries and continuing for two weeks.

The results showed no effect of prayer on the patients' recovery, the researchers said in the journal article, Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP) in cardiac bypass patients.

A couple of ponderizations for this study. What type of Christians were the prayer givers? Did they pray thru Jesus or not? (not all those who pray do yet Scripture says we must)

The only rule of faith for what God does or doesn't do are the Scriptures. So, I don't think some study, which at best is ill-defined in what actually went on in it, at worst a direct attempt to devalue both God and prayer, does not prove anything one way or another.

On a report at citizenlink which is talking of this study, the article says: "But the study's authors say the media haven't exactly been reporting the totality of their findings. The research did find that certain prayers in certain situations do not yield a measurable effect, but the study's author said science cannot measure the power of God in people's lives." Full article

Matthew Henry said on the power of prayer: "It is true, nothing we can say can have any influence upon him, or move him to show us mercy, but it may have an influence upon ourselves, and help to put us into a frame fit to receive mercy."

And Johnathon Edwards on peitionary prayer: "God is sometimes represented as if he were moved and persuaded by the prayers of his people; yet it is not to be thought that God is properly moved or made willing by our prayers"; instead, God bestows mercy "as though he were prevailed upon by prayer."

So, I'll leave the wise reader to decide for themselves if a Christian should pray or not, if its has any value or not. But, I admit to being an overall woefully poor pray-er, but, it would take more than some medical study, to make me think it has no worth, and is a giant waste of time and effort. And it goes against God's direct commandments. I never feel as safe, when iller, when I have known folks have been praying. And its not some psychological crutch, its simply because without medical intervention in my illness with often the turn for the worse it takes, if not for prayer alone, it may well be a very different state of affairs for ole Deejay by now.

A few Scripture verses:

"Ask and it will be given to you."

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. … The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer.

You do not have, because you do not ask God. |