- Scientists “prove the power of prayer”(By Aisling Irwin, Electronic Telegraph, Nov. 99)RESEARCHERS claim to have proved God's healing powers by showing that heart patients who are being prayed for do better than those who are not.The American study examined the fate of patients attending a coronary care unit in Kansas City, Missouri, over 12 months.They were enrolled in the trial without their knowledge or that of their doctors. Volunteers from a prayer group, contacted by the hospital chaplain, prayed for those patients whose medical record carried an even number over four weeks.The 470 patients who were prayed for did significantly better than the 520 who were not, according to the study published in Archives of Internal Medicine. The scoring system rated symptoms such as fever and whether patients had antibiotics.Dr. William Harris, who led the research, claimed his work was as rigorous as many drug trials. "If people are willing to accept the outcome of a drug study, they have to accept this one too," he told New Scientist.
- Answers.
The Bible is a book of prayers. Out of 667 recorded prayers, there are 454 recorded answers!
- Prayer is the secret.
(Zenit) The Pope proposed prayer as the answer to give courage to those who frequently feel anxious and helpless. "When believers pray, they move God's heart, for whom nothing is impossible," the Pope explained before praying with thousands of pilgrims. "Unfortunately, we are often exposed to vicissitudes and tragic events, which sow disconcert and anxiety," the Pope said. He said the "secret to face not only emergencies but exhaustion and personal and social problems day after day is in prayer, made in faith. Whoever prays does not get discouraged, because he feels God by his side and finds refuge, serenity and peace in His open arms." "It is very important to pray every day, personally and as a family," he concluded. "May prayer, and prayer together, be the daily breath of families and the whole community."
- What's your prayer excuse?
(From He Hears Your Prayers by Ron Auch) Charles Spurgeon once said that as Christians we should become addicted to prayer.
We know how important it is to pray. We also are excellent at finding excuses why we don't have the time. Primarily, our lives are structured around the things we consider important. When God is important enough to us, the end result will be prayer. The decision to pray is the battle. Once that decision has been made, most of the battle is over.
Common excuses to put off prayer:
I'm too tired. Being tired is really common. You can still spend time in prayer despite your weariness. If you allow weariness to keep you from prayer, you will always be kept from prayer because fatigue is part of this fast-paced life.
Give God the best time of the day. Choose the time of day when you can be the most effective. David would often pray at night (Psa.63:6); Abraham got up early to pray (Gen. 19:27); religious Jews liked to pray at the ninth hour--which was 3:00 p.m. (Acts 3:1); and Daniel prayed at three different times each day: morning, noon, and night (Dan.6:10).
Pray audibly. Praying out loud helps you stay focused.
Pace. If you get drowsy while praying, get up and move around. Pacing is deliberate walking to help you concentrate on God.
If you've ever fallen asleep in prayer, simply pray when you wake up.
I'm too busy. You need to develop an attitude about time that is similar to the one you have about money. The more time you give God, the more time you have from God. Following the principle of sowing and reaping, God will give back what you give to Him, then He increases it. Most people are busy, but not too busy to pray.
I'm too dry. You might not feel like praying. If you waited until you felt like praying you would pray very little. Jesus told His disciples that they should always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1). "Should" is an act of the will. Simply make yourself do it. It's a spiritual discipline. Certainly you should pray every time you feel led to pray, but for the most part, you lead yourself to prayer.
I'm too lazy. This is not something you'd like to admit. Prayer itself is not difficult. You will never run out of things to pray for. The biggest obstacle is making the decision to pray. Once you are in the place of prayer, it's not that difficult to pray. The struggle is getting yourself in that position. Getting up out of the easy chair or out of that warm bed in the morning, turning off the TV or radio, and putting yourself in a position to pray is where most of the battle lies.
- AIDS patients who were prayed for were healthier!
(CDC Daily News/USA Today) New research indicates that AIDS patients who were prayed for were healthier a few months later than those that received no prayer. The study divided 40 equally ill subjects into two groups; the group receiving prayer did not know that volunteers from 10 religions and healing traditions prayed for them an hour a day for one week. After six months, the patients who were prayed for had spent an average of 10 days in the hospital compared to 68 days for the control group. The prayer-receiving patients also reported a decrease in emotional distress and less-severe AIDS related new diseases.
- The power of prayer!
(UPI) Studies confirm what many people have long believed--prayer can heal. The findings, by scientists at Harvard university and San Francisco General Hospital, among others, indicate prayer can have a measurable effect on health and happiness and can even increase recovery rates for surgical patients. "Prayer heals the body and mind, according to well-documented university studies and my personal and clinical experience," says Doreen Virtue, a Los Angeles-based best-selling author and psychologist. More than 300 studies have been published in the last 10 years attempting to explain the powerful effects of prayer, she notes. What researchers have discovered is that people who are prayed for, regardless of religious beliefs, heal faster and even live longer. "I have tried or witnessed virtually every form of psychological intervention known to man," said Virtue, former director of Woodside Women's Hospital in Woodside, Calif. "Nothing is as powerful as prayer."