Does Prayer Make A Difference ?

[bobc1941]

I'm not a religious person but have been wondering if I prayed for Boris to
get better would it make a difference, has anybody got proof of the power of prayer ?

[vulcan42]

I have friends who, shall we say, are more religious than I am. They often tell me they offer prayers on my behalf, if the thing they're praying for occurs they say"our prayers were answered". If it doesn't, it's never mentioned again.

[nailit]

“The hands that help are better far than lips that pray.”
Robert Green Ingersoll,

[gness]

As an atheist there is nobody to listen to me if I prayed but I've had a strange experience with the power of thought....others involved think it was a prayer answered.
After six weeks MrG's donated kidney wasn't working and the medical team wanted to remove it.
I decided that it would begin to work at around 7pm on the next Sunday and persuaded them to hold off with the removal.
Took me ages to contact friends and family.....all the church leaders in the phone book and the ones I knew....Irish ex-Catholic...so there were a few of them.
I asked them to pray on the Sunday if they were religious......ask their congregations to pray or just think about MrG if not and will the kidney to work.....as often as they could on the Sunday.
I got a couple of the doctors to come to MrG's room to watch the kidney begin to work.....they already thought I was a tad off the wall....but they came and what happened?
Shortly after 7pm a little trickle of urine appeared in the tube....the kidney had started to work.
I kept the expression on my face unsurprised......I had said it would happen so why would I be surprised.......
In truth I was....but somewhere in this muddled mind I knew it would work.... :-)

[Mozz71]

If they're not in the position to help (Maybe they're at risk or they're housebound) then prayer may make the poster feel that they are helping Nailit. As I said, it won't do any harm.

[Ellipsis]

Not that I pray, but I believe that prayer can help the person praying, as well as the person being prayed for if they know (or think) they're being prayed for, through the placebo effect:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mental-health/the-power-of-the-placebo-effect

[Mamyalynne]

Gness's example is perfect, if you replace the word 'prayer' with 'positive thought' then flip it on it's head - does a stream of negative thought do any harm?

I think it does - the same with anger, it eats you up.

[woofgang]

nailit, the one doesn't rule out the other

[TonyV]

Gness that's good news.

[nailit]

How many people prayed for Maddeline McCann back in the day?
Result?

[nailit]

//nailit, the one doesn't rule out the other//
It obviously does.

[Unsureme]

If God is all powerful why doesn't he eradicate this virus which is killing so many?

[webbo3]

No, theres no such thing as god.

[Barmaid]

I'm a firm believer in "whatever gets you through the dark moments".

If the person praying derives strength from it, well yes there is power in it.

[woofgang]

//nailit, the one doesn't rule out the other//
"It obviously does."

why do you say that? what proof have you got?

[tiggerblue10]

As an atheist, I would say no. It is personal choice and if it brings you comfort in hard times and feel it helps then go for it.

[nailit]

//why do you say that? what proof have you got?//
The 'proof' is in the post above the one you just quoted me on.
Millions of prayers for Maddie. No response from on high!

[ummmm]

I just think of praying as people in deep thought.