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How do people believe that
prayer heals?
The following is a
description of the Judeo-Christian concept of intercessory prayer.
The Divine being has the power to heal physical illness
according to his/her own will. Inherent in believing in and having faith in a
Divine being means believing even when human beings cannot understand or prove
how it works. The best evidence we have is case reports.
The intercessory prayer itself does not have the power to
heal. It is God who hears the prayer and has the power to heal. God will act in
the person’s own best interest and according to a plan He has for each
person. We may not understand why some people are physically healed and some
aren’t. Most people believe that God knows what is best for that person even
if it is not physical healing. With many accepting that God's sacrifice for
man's sins was healing enough. It may be psychological healing, renewed
closeness in family relationships, relief of suffering, etc.
It is important to distinguish the results of healing through
intercessory prayer and those benefits received through personal prayer. Many
people use prayer as a method of stress reduction, and as a personal coping
strategy. Medical research has documented the
health benefits of personal prayer
and spirituality. We see lowered blood pressure, stronger immune responses,
decreased rates of depression and anxiety, and an overall better sense of
well-being. These benefits are attributed to the effect the mind has on the body’s
physical health. The health benefits of intercessory prayer cannot be attributed
to mind-body healing as the patient may not even know they are being prayed for.
By definition, intercessory prayer works through one of two ways, either a
supernatural force such as a Diving Being, or through subtle “energy flow”.
Neither of these is understood or explained by science. |
