Can Science Prove that Prayer Can Heal?

[Michie]

In his book Miracles Today: The Supernatural Work of God in the Modern World (2021), Craig S. Keener discusses the power of prayer. He presents numerous documented cases of people with serious medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, and blindness (verified by physicians) who were healed of their diseases. If these cases are any indication, God has not stopped supernatural interventions in response to prayer. As Bishop Barron said, “I invite anyone who thinks that miracles are the stuff of prescientific fantasy or that these supernatural signs simply don’t happen today to pick up this book. I guarantee that he or she will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of credible accounts presented in these pages. Miracles Today is intelligently and engagingly written and will appeal to believers, nonbelievers, and honest seekers.”

Can science prove the power of prayer? Imagine the following experiment. One group of sick people is prayed for, and a control group of sick people is not prayed for. If prayer really works, we will find better outcomes when people are prayed for than when people are not prayed for. If there is no difference between the two groups, then this result shows that prayer does nothing to facilitate healing. In fact, scientists have tested the efficacy of prayer in double-blind studies just as they test the efficacy of medication.

What are the results of these studies? The published results are totally inconclusive. However, from both a scientific and a theological perspective, these inconclusive results are unsurprising.

Continued below.

Can Science Prove that Prayer Can Heal? - Word on Fire

The power of prayer only sometimes leads to physical healing, but prayer is always beneficial and works for the greater good.

www.wordonfire.org

 

[FaithT]

Michie, do you believe God cures illness and health problems through prayer? I was majorly obsessed with this a few years ago regarding the STEP prayer study and was under the impression that God didn’t heal the sick who were prayed for. Was I wrong?

My dad died of pancreatic cancer and I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone surviving that type of cancer no matter how deeply people pray.

Then there’s my father in law who had prostate cancer and survived (but prostate cancer can be cured in many cases) and he suffered a brain tumor which was benign.

 

[Michie]

I think God can heal illness through prayer but it’s a question of whether He does or not. There have been miracles of course but there is no way to measure if prayers deliver us from illness by whatever percentage. It’s a matter of faith.

 

[Michie]

Can prayer heal?

Contrary to popular opinion, scientific research doesn’t necessarily confirm that prayer heals, but it changes those who pray for the better.

uscatholic.org

 

[FaithT]

I think God can heal illness through prayer but it’s a question of whether He does or not. There have been miracles of course but there is no way to measure if prayers deliver us from illness by whatever percentage. It’s a matter of faith.

Have you or anyone else here heard of a person surviving pancreatic cancer? That was a really bad cancer that scares me so much. I’m always afraid I have it or will get it.

 

[Michie]

Have you or anyone else here heard of a person surviving pancreatic cancer? That was a really bad cancer that scares me so much. I’m always afraid I have it or will get it.

Unfortunately my husband’s cousin is going through it now. I have heard of prayer extending expectancy or making it less distressing but an actual cure from pancreatic cancer is not something I’m aware of.

 

[FaithT]

Unfortunately my husband’s cousin is going through it now. I have heard of prayer extending expectancy or making it less distressing but an actual cure from pancreatic cancer is not something I’m aware of.

I’m sorry to hear about your cousin in law. It is a terrible, terrible disease; one that I didn’t fully understand when my dad had it. I thought it was like a lot of cancers where it would become his new normal but they’d be able to treat it indefinitely. He was diagnosed the day after Easter in I think 1988. He died January 1989.

 

[Michie]

I’m sorry to hear about your cousin in law. It is a terrible, terrible disease; one that I didn’t fully understand when my dad had it. I thought it was like a lot of cancers where it would become his new normal but they’d be able to treat it indefinitely. He was diagnosed the day after Easter in I think 1988. He died January 1989.

We lost my stepdad to esophageal cancer about 2 years ago. Cancer is a scourge.

 

[FaithT]

We lost my stepdad to esophageal cancer about 2 years ago. Cancer is a scourge.

My childhood friend’s husband died from that about 5 or so months ago. Another friends husband died from it about 19 or 20 years ago.

 

[FaithT]

We lost my stepdad to esophageal cancer about 2 years ago. Cancer is a scourge.

Im sorry for your loss.

 

[Michie]

My childhood friend’s husband died from that about 5 or so months ago. Another friends husband died from it about 19 or 20 years ago.

Another horrific type of cancer.

 

[Michie]

Im sorry for your loss.

Thank you Faith. My condolences on your loss as well. We never really get over it.

 

[FaithT]

Thank you Faith. My condolences on your loss as well. We never really get over it.

No, we don’t. And my dad was so brave. I hope he had someone to talk to about it, like a priest or a friend. I was really immature at the time and in major denial and my mom was mentally ill. The person closest to him was his sister who died somewhat suddenly about 3 or 4 years prior to his death. They never did give us a definite reason, even after two autopsies. She collapsed one day in the late morning or early afternoon and died later that night.

 

[Michie]

No, we don’t. And my dad was so brave. I hope he had someone to talk to about it, like a priest or a friend. I was really immature at the time and in major denial and my mom was mentally ill. The person closest to him was his sister who died somewhat suddenly about 3 or 4 years prior to his death. They never did give us a definite reason, even after two autopsies. She collapsed one day in the late morning or early afternoon and died later that night.

That’s tragic!

 

[FaithT]

That’s tragic!

Yes it was….and she died on my dad’s birthday. They had plans for dinner that night. My dad said he never wanted to celebrate his birthday again after that.
She was my aunt and Godmother and I was really close to her too. She took care of me when my mom would be hospitalized for “depression” which many years later was diagnosed as bi polar depression.

 

[Michie]

Yes it was….and she died on my dad’s birthday. They had plans for dinner that night. My dad said he never wanted to celebrate his birthday again after that.

I’m so sorry! Lord have mercy!

 

[FaithT]

I’m so sorry! Lord have mercy!

Thanks.

 

[FaithT]

In his book Miracles Today: The Supernatural Work of God in the Modern World (2021), Craig S. Keener discusses the power of prayer. He presents numerous documented cases of people with serious medical conditions such as multiple sclerosis, cancer, and blindness (verified by physicians) who were healed of their diseases. If these cases are any indication, God has not stopped supernatural interventions in response to prayer. As Bishop Barron said, “I invite anyone who thinks that miracles are the stuff of prescientific fantasy or that these supernatural signs simply don’t happen today to pick up this book. I guarantee that he or she will be overwhelmed by the sheer number of credible accounts presented in these pages. Miracles Today is intelligently and engagingly written and will appeal to believers, nonbelievers, and honest seekers.”

Can science prove the power of prayer? Imagine the following experiment. One group of sick people is prayed for, and a control group of sick people is not prayed for. If prayer really works, we will find better outcomes when people are prayed for than when people are not prayed for. If there is no difference between the two groups, then this result shows that prayer does nothing to facilitate healing. In fact, scientists have tested the efficacy of prayer in double-blind studies just as they test the efficacy of medication.

What are the results of these studies? The published results are totally inconclusive. However, from both a scientific and a theological perspective, these inconclusive results are unsurprising.

Continued below.

Can Science Prove that Prayer Can Heal? - Word on Fire

The power of prayer only sometimes leads to physical healing, but prayer is always beneficial and works for the greater good.

www.wordonfire.org

I just ordered this book for Christmas. I have his other work on miracles, it’s a two volume set but according to Amazon this volume is less daunting (it’s just one book) and has some new material. I hope it’s worth it.