The Power of Prayer

The Power of Prayer.

I want to ask a question that can be unnerving to some, “Do you believe that prayer has power?” If you said yes, you are not alone. For most religious and spiritually minded humans, prayer is a way to commune with a higher power, often God. The historical significance of prayer, serving as a portal to divine intervention that can provide comfort and guidance, is over 5,000 years old now. That’s a lot of candles on the cake. It has a history as old as ancient Mesopotamia, invoking a profound sense of awe and respect.

This belief varies across different religions and spiritual practices, and it's important to acknowledge and respect this diversity. However, it is generally centered on the idea that prayer is a powerful tool for personal transformation and influencing external events.

For those of you who own a copy of the e-book “Become the Boss of You,” you should read chapter five again. This chapter discusses the importance of activities that enrich our lives. It’s hard to say what is the most important concept in chapter five, but prayer, meditation, mindfulness, and mental growth are right up there in importance. Your Kindle

An article by Harvard Medical School states that meditation is a way to help your heart and gratitude as a way to become happier. Both practices are closely linked to prayer. Thus, certain forms of prayer foster our sense of connection, purpose, and meaning. All contribute to a greater sense of well-being and resilience.

 https://www.health.harvard.edu/search?content%5Bquery%5D=prayer

It does not sound very scientific when I tell you that my regimen of prayer and meditation helps me reduce stress and gives me the confidence to help me through difficult times. However, if you are a person who prays regularly, you will not be shocked to find that science is finding that prayer helps our psychological well-being and more.

Again, when it makes me a better person, that sounds vague and unscientific to some. Yet, my habit of prayer and meditation helps my interpersonal skills and allows me to be a better member of my community. Spoiler alert! Science is documenting similar findings. Prayer makes us more likely to forgive, and praying in a community setting, such as when we go to church, aligns us with social support and personal growth.

Another interesting publication is from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They have published an extensive article on how research is growing in religion and spirituality. It’s very long, but their research indicates prayer can improve emotional health. Of course, we have known that prayer can play a significant role in personal transformation by improving mental health, fostering resilience, and providing emotional support for thousands of years. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3671693/

Yet, this view is not shared by all today. We increasingly like our beliefs to be backed up by scientific research, and why not? We wouldn’t want to look stupid to others. Heaven, forbid we go out on a limb with a leap of faith.

This worldview is based on the premise that our present world represents not only the best version of humanity but also the only one from which we should draw our strength. It also suggests that the ancient Sumerians, Egyptians, Israelites, Greeks, and Vedic cultures were all superstitious and lacked intelligent people, and they survived for that long by luck.

So, is there evidence is there that prayer is helpful to personal transformation? Well, evidence supports the idea that prayer contributes to personal transformation. Some brave souls have documented psychological and sociological studies and anecdotal accounts from people who pray regularly.

When discussing the concept of prayer as a habit, I will also direct you to a blog entitled “Using our God-given faculties in prayer.” https://yourdailycompass.blogspot.com/ June 2024. This blog introduces the concept of using your senses and imagination during prayer. Prayer can be fun. For example, imagine the outcome of something you are asking for, see it, see the vivid colors, or try to hear the birds sing. Don’t be afraid to let all five senses reward your experience.  

If this seems overwhelming, I suggest you meditate on one of my favorite biblical verses. Jesus says in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, verse 7: "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Know that God will guide you to the degree you are willing to be guided. Above all, keep preying. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will open. 

Then there are those “ah hay” moments! Those times in prayer when we feel connected to life’s purpose and direction. Once you get enough of those, you no longer need a behavioral scientist to say that God exists and that you can talk to the Almighty. You know. Prayer has led me to profound spiritual experiences that gave me a sense of peace and connectedness. Now, my PCP is a very nice woman for sure, but honestly, she does not measure up to prayer and meditation in the area of personal transformation.

I will ask you to add the blog “The Practice of Prayer” April 2024 at https://yourdailycompass.blogspot.com/

One of the major points of that blog is that we are praying to the Almighty and not for the Almighty. We, not God, need the prayers.

The medical field has heard enough personal testimonies of people saying that prayer is a factor in their significant life changes to admit that there is both anecdotal and qualitative evidence that it works. It works because there is a power there. In addition, doctors are human, and many of them have used prayer to overcome addiction, heal their relationships, and achieve personal goals. While these experiences may not seem scientific to the person without faith, they are powerful narratives of transformation.

The person with zero faith will say that this evidence remains controversial and is still under investigation. They dismiss it, yet the weatherman is far from infallible, and the same people look at their phone app daily to see if they should grab a jacket.

OK, what about the claim that prayer has an effect that can influence external events? Yes, like the previous conversations, the faithful have likely experienced this reality, and those lacking faith have not, and this is why there is a debate.

Yet, studies have suggested that intercessory prayer (praying for others) has positively affected health outcomes. For example, a 1988 study by Randolph Byrd found that coronary care unit patients who were prayed for had fewer complications compared to those who were not prayed for.
I have friends who have experienced this track record, and they always ask for my prayers as I ask for theirs.

We will never be able to dodge the finding that those experiencing positive outcomes from prayer and meditation are within religious and spiritual communities. These communities house the people of faith, and faith is a needed elixir for prayer. Those of little faith will always be able to point to the placebo effect. They will contend that the person praying or those being prayed for experience psychological and physiological changes similar to the healing of a sugar pill. My response is, “Does it matter?”  A win is a win!

The naysayers will always need another controlled, double-masked study. Then another. The faithful who have experienced prayers influencing external events feel the truth in their souls. They found faith, and their faith healed them—faith in a power greater than themself and not contingent on a double-masked study.

Prayer is a way to communicate with God, and when we combine this activity with faith, we start to see the benefits. Matthew 21:22 says, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." 

 I am certainly not alone in the following benefits, but I will tell you my beliefs, and I feel others who pray will agree to most.

Prayer helps me develop my relationship with God. With that relationship intact, I can make better decisions. I am led to answers, or I may become a better listener. Prayer helps me stave off temptation. This includes the ability to admit my mistakes when I do slip up and to ask for forgiveness. Let’s face it: a good life is based on good habits, and bad habits lead to disaster. Prayer helps. 

Prayer and meditation allow me to increase my focus and be present when needed. They also make it easier to maintain an attitude of gratitude.

 

Peace, Joe Pikul

 

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