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Other's Prayers Don't Help Heal

Friday March 31, 2006
A new study challenges the long held belief that prayers for recovery offered by strangers can help recovery from surgery. In fact, the study found that heart surgery patients who believed they were the recipients of intercessory prayer had a higher rate of complication after surgery than did those who were not sure if they were being prayed for.

the most common complication after surgery was atrial fibrillation.

The study did not take into account personal prayer or prayers of friends and family. Many people feel faith is a powerful weapon in their fight against illness, but this study does not appear to give that same power to the faith of strangers.

Comments

April 4, 2006 at 11:54 am
(1) Lexie says:

How Sad! Prayer’s are always heard no matter who it’s from family, a stranger. We are all the same in the eyes of the higher spirit. And Prayer does help heal!

April 4, 2006 at 12:03 pm
(2) Kathy says:

How can you quantify Spiritual Intervention? Prayer can only help in any situation.

April 4, 2006 at 1:11 pm
(3) Roo says:

Thank you for a little common sense enlightenment. If more people cared about educating themselves and their fellow men with the truth, we wouldn’t need prayer to save us from the bad things in life…. whether it be from illness or bad situations. Critical thinking, research, and education is what will keep and make us healthy and overcome our physical and mental weaknesses.

April 4, 2006 at 2:32 pm
(4) Blossom says:

When people pray for the sick I can’t help but think that instead they should take the time to actually visit just one sick person to lift their spirits or perform some other act of kindness to help them or their family. They act like god is some kind of Santa Clause who magically grants favors. Prayer can work similar to any kind of meditation to clear the mind and offer solutions for problems or relieve stress but other than that I do not believe that a supernatural being intervenes.

April 4, 2006 at 3:03 pm
(5) Classie says:

You have got to be kidding! Is this some be-lated April Fool Joke.
Anyone who believes in God, welcomes prayer when they are sick, from anyone.
Just knowing they are praying makes you feel better,therefore making you get well faster.

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