How To Get A Wish From God? The 7 Latest Answer

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To ask God for something, first praise and thank Him for all the good things in your life to show your gratitude. Then be honest about what you want and why you want it. For example, say something like, “Lord, I’ve been selfish lately and it’s affecting my family. Please help me to be a better father and husband so my family can be happy.” God may not answer your prayer right away, but be patient and keep praying for what you want. In the meantime, read some scriptures and focus on living a godly life to build a better relationship with God. For more tips, including how to ask God for forgiveness when you sin, read on!

When we pray about something, we hope to receive an answer from God. However, since we do not hear Him speak audibly, we could miss it if we are not paying attention. So if we want to get an answer from the Lord, we need to make sure we’re ready to receive the answer we’re hoping for.

If you don’t know the right ways to get God’s answer, you can follow these steps:

1. Seek confirmation from the Bible.

The first thing you need to do to get an answer to your prayer is to search for it in God’s Word. The Bible contains instructions and wisdom that are still applicable to everyday situations that people face. When you find the answer in the Bible, you no longer have to wait for supernatural confirmation.

Of course, when you seek an answer through Scripture, you need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. For this reason you must pray earnestly before you open your Bible. Then ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to the correct passage that relates to your concern.

2. Make sure what you are asking is God’s will.

If you hope for a “yes” answer, make sure your prayer is according to the will of God. First John 5:14 says, “Now this is the trust we have in him, that if we ask anything of his will, he hears us.”

How will you know if what you are asking is God’s will? You have to go back to the Bible. First, find the scripture that relates to your problem. Then study it carefully to know whether what you want is consistent with it or not.

3. Pray for wisdom.

To understand God’s answer to your prayer, you need His wisdom to open your mind. Sometimes you would not get the exact answer to your prayer that you desire. If you don’t have God’s wisdom, it could prevent you from trusting the Lord again. However, if you are spiritually mature you would understand that God has a better plan and you just need to have faith.

Therefore, ask God for wisdom to receive whatever His wholehearted answer is. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lack wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

Photo by Jill’s

4. Reach out to spiritually mature people.

Another way to confirm God’s answer to your prayer is to consult spiritually mature and knowledgeable people. For example, you can consult your pastor, ministry leader, or Bible study leader about your prayer. With biblical wisdom, they can guide you to seek and understand God’s will in your situation.

One good thing about being surrounded by mature believers is that you have people who can help you keep God’s will. They will help you study the Bible and determine what pleases God and what does not. With them, you are more likely to develop desires and prayers according to the will of the Lord. They can also pray with you.

5. Prepare your heart to receive His answer.

As you wait for God to answer your prayer, you need to make sure your heart is ready to receive His answer. If you are too busy doing other things, you may not realize that the Lord has already answered your prayer.

So how should you prepare your heart? First make sure it’s clean before the Lord. Then get rid of the sins that make your heart calloused to God’s Word. Also, you must understand that the Lord’s answer may not be what you expect. It’s possible to get a “no,” and you need to be prepared for that. After all, He is still sovereign and men have no right to ask anything of Him.

6. Search your heart for what is preventing you from hearing God.

In connection with number 5, it is necessary to purify your heart so that you can hear God more clearly. So if you think God has been silent to you for a long time, you need to evaluate yourself. Is there a sin you need to confess and repent of?

If you are unsure, you should ask God to reveal any sin that you are not aware of. Even King David asked the Lord to help him see his transgression. Psalm 139:23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and recognize my anxious thoughts. See if there is an offensive way in me and lead me on the eternal way.”

7. Don’t insist on what you want.

What if God’s answer is “no”? Are you willing to accept it or will you rebel against Him? If you don’t want to take no for an answer, then maybe that’s why God doesn’t reveal His will to you. He is aware that your heart is not ready to receive His answer.

Please understand that God is not your genie. He doesn’t exist to make your wishes come true. On the other hand, we exist to fulfill his purposes. For this reason you should trust in his will in everything, even if it contradicts your original desire. However, if you align your decisions and His instructions, you will find that He has the best plans all along.

8. Go to prayer and fasting.

If you are really eager to know God’s answer to your prayer, you can also pray and fast. You can choose to skip a meal or two a day and devote those moments to prayer. If you cannot eat for health reasons, there are other ways to fast. You can fast on social media or other things that are usually part of your daily routine.

Just to clarify things. Fasting is not done to bribe or force God to give you what you want. It is done to give more time to prayer and make your mind stronger than your body. You do this so that you may be more sensitive to God’s will.

9. Wait patiently for God’s timetable.

Be patient as you wait for God’s answer. Please note that his schedule is different from yours. He will answer you in due time according to His will – not yours. Don’t blame God for being delayed or indifferent. Instead, use the waiting time to strengthen your faith in Him.

As you wait for your prayer to be answered, work on your relationships with the Lord. Seek more of His presence, fellowship with other believers, and study the Bible with hunger. Also, devote more time to prayer and strive to live blameless lives to glorify Him.

Be still before the Lord

Rest assured that God hears your prayers and He is pleased when you turn your concerns over to Him. He may not answer you right away, but trust that he hasn’t forgotten you. You may not see it, but He is actually working behind the scenes to give you the answer you need. Be still and trust that God is in control. He won’t let you down. You just have to wait.

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Among all gods and goddesses, Bholenath is considered benevolent. Aside from that, a little devotion makes them happy and fulfilling the desires of their followers. The very popular Panchakaksha mantra of Shiv Pooja ‘Om Namah Shivaya’, which first by chance becomes Shakchara at 7, soon makes Bhole Nath happy too. The same mantra is Shiva fact, who is omniscient, perfect and inherently pure, there is no other like it. Apart from that, when the mantra of ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ is contained in the heart, knowledge of all scriptures and good wishes will be attained by itself.

Power of the Mahamantra

According to the Vedas, just chanting “Om Namah Shivaya” is enough to please Shiva, the creator of the universe. Apart from that, Bholenath gets very happy with this mantra very quickly and by chanting this mantra all your worries, all sufferings will be removed and you will receive immense blessings from Mahakal. In the same Skandpurana it is said that the ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ Mahamantra that resides in the mind needs many mantras, pilgrimages, austerities and yagyas for it. This mantra is the provider of salvation. At the same time, it destroys sins and brings cosmic, supernatural pleasures to the seeker.

method of singing

We should chant this mantra in a clean, quiet and secluded place in the pagoda, shrine or house. The Om Namah Shivaya mantra should be chanted at least 108 times each day with a Rudraksha rosary as Rudraksha is very dear to Lord Shiva. Singing should always be towards the east or north. After installing and worshiping Shivling, chanting on the banks of the sacred river can best achieve its fruits. Shiva’s mantra “Om Namah: Shivaay” is recited at all times. Aside from its religious benefits, the Om Namah Shivaya mantra also offers health benefits. All senses are awakened by his pronunciation.

Also read:

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Do not store the dough in the fridge as it is harmful to your health

This remedy on Magh Purnima can change your life and make you rich

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and completeness. wikiHow’s content management team carefully oversees our editorial team’s work to ensure that every article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. This article has been viewed 348,162 times.

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To pray to Ganesha, sit in front of a photo or idol of him. Light your diya, burn incense sticks and offer ladoos, modaks or other goodies. You can also put a garland around the photo or idol to win his favor. When you have satisfied Ganesha, repeat one of his mantras, such as the Shaktivinayak or the Siddhi Vinayak, to bring you closer to him. Close your eyes and visualize Ganesha in your mind. If you see him, talk to him about your problems, challenges and hopes as Ganesha is associated with prosperity, luck and wisdom. When you have finished praying, apply the tilak on Ganesha’s forehead and on your own forehead. For more tips including how to offer the prasadam to those attending the puja, read on!

Peterdg said: It is not a subjunctive form. It would be a subjunctive form if the sentence read: “God bless you” Click to expand…

(present subjunctive, defect) Expressing a wish (with present subjunctive effect).

may you win; may the weather be sunny

…

Wishes are often formulated in the imperative rather than the subjunctive without using the word may, as in Have a great day! instead of have a nice day.

Hmmm, I disagree, but I’m not sure. I believe that “May God bless you” is actually the subjunctive mood, as is “God bless you” because it is an ellipsis of the former. Wiktionary says the following about “may”. This last part seems to make it clear that “may you have …” is a subjunctive construction.

When the clock strikes 11:11 on Wednesday (11/11), will you make a wish?

Numerologists speculate that November 11th is the luckiest day of the year because it doubles the “master number” 11. Taking an interest in numerology means that the day is filled with opportunities for wish fulfillment – ​​especially when the clock reads 11:11. Otherwise, it can just be a fun game or reminder to manifest your own desires.

Data from YouGov shows that young women are particularly likely to follow the tradition of making a wish at 11:11 a.m. About two in five women aged 18 to 24 (43%) and 25 to 34 (38%) do this. The proportion of women hoping for 11:11 wish fulfillment decreases with age – about a quarter (28%) of 35-44 year old women do so, compared to 17% of 45-54 year old women year-olds and even fewer (6%) over the age of 55.

Only a quarter of men aged 18-24 (24%) and 25-34 (23%) make a wish at 11:11.

Americans who make a wish when the clock reads 11:11 am are more likely than the average American to believe in karma (50% vs. 40%), magic (21% vs. 11%), spiritual energy (50% vs %), and destiny or destiny (36% vs. 29%).

Related: About half of Americans believe that ghosts and demons exist

METHODS: The total weighted sample size was 18,240 US adults 18 years and older. Respondents were asked, “When you see the clock reading 11:11, do you make a wish?” Possible answers were yes, no, or don’t know.” 10,074 women and 8,166 men were interviewed. The survey was conducted on November 11, 2019. The responding sample is weighted to provide a representative sample of the United States.

Image: Getty

Today is November 11th! Does that ring any bells? Today’s date has four ones, or rather two elves. According to astrology and popular belief, the number 11 is associated with luck. The time 11:11 or 1:11 also has a similar meaning. The number combination is said to be associated with divine power, angles and a universal path, reminding people to pay attention to the heart, soul and inner intuition.

The popularity of time and day has increased in recent years. People are now starting their new ventures and other important moments of life at its time. November 11th is now celebrated as Singles’ Day in China. This day is all about being proud of being single. Popular shopping site Alibaba holds sales and offers huge discounts to its customers.

If the request from 11.11. true?

Many people make a wish when they look at the clock and see 11:11. People generally do not tell about the wish, as it is believed that then it would not come true. There are various theories as to the divinity and luck factor associated with the number 11 and the timing 11:11.

Why is the time 11/11 so special?

Numerologists and New Age philosophers hold that the events associated with the 11:11 time are coincidence or coincidence. While some believe it is an auspicious sign, others believe it signals the presence of a spirit. On November 11, 2011 (11/11/11) there was an increase in the number of marriages taking place in different areas around the world. Babies born on this date also received special attention from the media.

What does 11.11 wish mean?

Desires made at 11:11 am are believed to manifest quickly. The number combination is associated with idealism, intuition and revelation. The number is said to carry psychic vibrations, thus giving people heightened psychic awareness.

Does the number 11 bring luck?

The number 11 is believed to be associated with angels. It is said that when angels send messages containing the master number 11, they are sending inspiration and encouragement to help you. The number is associated with principles of spiritual enlightenment and awakening and is a reminder that we came to this physical world from the realm of spirit.

People say that when you see the time 11:11 you should stop your work and realize the importance of the moment. There is no right or wrong way to observe the moment. People can recognize the moment in their own way. It doesn’t have to be just the digital clock, but a license plate, address, house number, or something similar that shows the combination of numbers.

(The story above first appeared on LatestLY on November 11, 2019 at 2:10 p.m. IST. For more politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle news and updates, visit our website Latestly.com).

Today’s Miracle of the Day was inspired by Luci of Mokena, IL. Luci Wonders: “Can you make a wish come true?” “Thanks for WONDERING with us, Luci!

What do birthday candles, shooting stars and eyelashes have in common? If you’ve ever blown out a birthday candle, seen a shooting star, or found a stray eyelash, you’ve probably done another thing almost immediately: made a wish.

Desires are something we all have and we all make. When it rains, we wish for sun. When we’re served broccoli for dinner, some of us may wish for pizza instead. If we saved $50 and the brand new game we want is $60, then we probably wish it went on sale or wished we had $10 more.

While our desires are often small and practical, they can also be big and fantastic. Have you ever wished you had won the lottery? How about the desire for a new car? Some people wish they were famous or had superhuman strength.

Desires can also be very personal and important to the innermost parts of who we are. Have you ever wished for your one true love to come to you? When you are battling a life-threatening illness, your greatest desire may be to regain your health.

But how did we start wishing for birthday candles, shooting stars and eyelashes? These are just some of the superstitions surrounding desire. Let’s take a closer look at how some of these got started.

Some historians believe that when we blow out birthday candles, we can thank the ancient Greeks for making wishes. Their belief that the smoke from the candles carried prayers to the gods may have been the origin of wishes when we blow out the candles on our birthday cakes.

Likewise, the ancient writer and astronomer Ptolemy believed that shooting stars are formed when the gods look down on us from above. Wishing for a shooting star was the best way to ensure the gods granted your wish while they were watching.

Wishing for eyelashes dates back to mid-19th century folklore in Shropshire, England. Another piece of ancient folklore – from Ireland – says that catching the mythical goblin will result in him granting you three wishes.

These are not the only superstitions related to desire. You’ll also find people making wishes on dandelions, wishbones, ladybugs, times of day (like 11:11), wishing wells, and even the first star they see at night (thanks to the late 1800s nursery rhyme).

Do wishes ever come true? Of course they do! Whether a wish comes true or not has nothing to do with birthday candles, shooting stars or eyelashes. Sometimes it’s just coincidence. Other fulfilled desires can be the result of simple hard work. Still other desires can be realized by kind-hearted people.

For example, the Make-a-Wish Foundation of America grants thousands of wishes each year for children struggling with life-threatening illnesses. Her work, thanks to thousands of volunteers, has helped make wishes come true for children who are otherwise facing the darkest days of their lives. However, not only the happiness of the moment, but also fulfilled wishes have often given children the strength they need to continue fighting their illnesses.

However, you don’t have to be part of a large organization to grant someone a wish. All you need is a willingness to help others around you. When you become aware of someone’s wish and realize that you have the power to make it happen, do it! Fulfilling someone else’s wish can change your own life!

our life. My faith may not be as strong as I would like, but I know that God is my only hope because He has never failed me. I believe that he has always looked after me through everything I’ve been through. I just wish I could finally get to where he wants me to be, where I can feel useful and not continue to feel dependent on others.”

…”

“Very much! I struggle with a lot on my plate; I think there’s a reason for everything that’s happening

Should we ask God for things? YUP!

Maybe you can relate to this story.

My husband Kevin puts our 4 year old in his car seat. Little Man keeps whining about that thing. Kevin looks at him calmly and says, “Son, I’d love to give this to you, but you really have to ask first.”

Questions.

It couldn’t be easier, right?

As if instructing my toddler, “Use your words,” I felt the Holy Spirit nudge my heart, “Jessica, how often do you want something, so you grieve. They wail. you complain you get angry . . . But you don’t ask!”

My mind flooded with Bible verses.

“You don’t have to because you don’t ask.” (James 4:2c, NIV) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7, ESV) “…let your requests be made known before God.” (Philippians 4:6b, NIV)

Throughout Scripture, God commands and encourages us to ask Him for what we want. God longs to hear your requests. Give Him the pleasure of hearing from you!

The first way to ask God for what you want is to just start praying. Then, as you pray, ponder what you believe about God and His character.

West, RI (02891)

today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 82F. Wind SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

This evening

Cloudy with occasional rain showers overnight. Low 69F. Wind SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.

Often we are in a state of confusion about prayer. We pray constantly for something to happen, or for something to be given or delivered from, but the answers don’t seem to be forthcoming;

“I keep praying and God is not answering my prayers” is a common theme among growing Christians and it is important that this be addressed because it turns some away from God because they do not understand what and how to pray to God for the answer we want.

Delight also in the LORD; and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him too; and he will bring it about. Psalm 37 Vs 4, 5

First, let’s remember that God is not the source of confusion (1 Corinthians 14 vs. 33). He has guidelines that He has given us to follow so that we can fulfill the desires of our hearts.

In the same breath, the heart’s desires of a Christian differ from those of an unbeliever. As a Christian, your life should already be guided by the Holy Spirit so that your desires will naturally align with the fruits of the Spirit.

So now faith [comes] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10 against 17

Second, we must understand that the Bible is the Word of God. That is, take the Bible as if God Himself were speaking to you, for that is what it means when we say that the Bible is the Word of God.

Before there were cell phones, we communicated separately by mail. A “love letter” was always cherished, read, and reread, with all the nuances, words, punctuation, and even the scent of the page being ingested over and over again, as if the author were physically present. So should the Bible be for Christians.

It’s our love letter from God

But let him ask in faith without wavering. For the swaying is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For that man should not think that he will receive anything from the Lord. A double-minded man [is] unstable in all his ways. James 1 against 6-8

Third, once we understand that the Bible is the literal Word of God, then we have the foundation of our faith, knowing that without faith we can never get what we need from God (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith is proof. Without faith there is no proof, and without that proof how can you expect to receive from God what you are not sure God can give you?

However, let’s look at the reasons why prayers are not answered:

1. And so now you have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. And on that day you will not ask me anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name: ask and you will receive so that your joy may be full. John 16 vs. 22-24

– Notice here that Jesus first says that you will have problems and will be in need until He comes again, and when He comes again you will not ask Him for anything. You will have everything you need when He comes again.

As long as we are on earth we will have to ask for what we need. It proves our inability to sustain ourselves

– That is, Jesus clearly says “whatever you ask,” meaning that He will give whatever you ask in His name.

Jesus never lies

2. And this is the trust we have in him that he will hear us when we ask his will for anything we ask of him. 1 John 5 vs. 14, 15

– This is further clarity on what he should ask for his will. If you ask for something that is not God’s will, you will not receive it.

– Someone will ask, “How do I know God’s will?” You need to ask yourself: Does God enjoy suffering? Is it his will that I lack a need forever? If your answer is no, then you know that it is His will that you be happy and not suffer.

– Even his will can never contradict his law. God is a reader of both actions and motives; do not expect that he will concede anything to you, that your motives or actions go against his commandments

3. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, so that you may consume [it] according to your lusts. You adulterers and adulteresses; Don’t you know that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? So whoever wants to be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. James 4 against 3, 4

– As long as your prayers are for selfish motives, driven by pride hidden in your heart, God will not hear them.

– Ask with the right motives and with a perfectly clear conscience, and God will answer

4. Don’t pay attention to anything; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4 against 6

– Other versions begin this verse with “don’t worry” instead of “be careful…”

– Note that there is a process here: you must first pray (ask) with supplication (fasting) and then give thanks because you know that God said yes. (faith in action)

– Once you know God said yes, you know you will receive it. With this thanksgiving you will have the “peace of God which surpasses all understanding.”

This is the same peace that kept Jesus sleeping when the disciples thought they were going to drown in that storm. He was sure the wind and waves would stop, so He slept. This is the kind of peace no one understands (surpasses all understanding)

5. Whoever turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer [shall] be an abomination.

Proverbs 28 against 9

– As long as you refuse to hear and keep the law of God, your prayers are not only avoided, but they are an abomination;

– Abomination also means shame

6. If I behold unrighteousness in my heart, the Lord will not hear [me: Psalm 66 vs 18

– If you knowingly condone sin, whether it be yours or someone else’s, and you do not correct it, “consider the iniquity in your heart” and should therefore forget that God hears your prayers.

7. When my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven… 2 Chronicles 7 vs 14

– What does “turn from their wicked ways” mean if not to obey the commandments of God?

Finally, don’t forget that although God could have created the world in a day, God took his time (for reasons best known to Him) and that there was a process by which man’s creation took place on December 6th. day took place.

Likewise, God has a process when you pray, and He answers in that process. It can be immediate or it can mean waiting a little while He “preps” you to receive the answers to your prayers. Be patient in faith as God is patient in forgiving your daily sins.

He is faithful and will set you free when the time is right. He created you to know when the time is right for you.

Keep praying, don’t give up

A South Korean woman who wanted to get her driver’s license finally passed the written test – after 950 attempts! Cha Sa-soon set herself the goal of passing the exam, not realizing how difficult it would be to make her dream come true. For more than four years, she had to take the exam repeatedly before succeeding, but her efforts eventually paid off. What dreams are slumbering in your heart? If you have not pursued a dream because you believe you need a miracle to make it come true, you can experience that miracle if you take a few steps of faith toward your goals. You can invite God to work in your life in ways that will miraculously make your dreams come true. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Here’s how you can work with God to make your dreams come true.

How you can use God’s help to create your dreams

A child prays before lunch in the United States during the Great Depression, 1936

The effectiveness of prayer has been studied since at least 1872, generally through experiments to determine whether prayer or intercessory prayer has a measurable effect on the health of the person being prayed for. Empirical studies indicate that prayer and intercession have no discernible effects.[1]

While some religious groups argue that the power of prayer is obvious, others question whether it is possible to measure its effects.[2][3][4] dr Fred Rosner, an authority on Jewish medical ethics, has expressed doubts that prayer could ever be the subject of empirical analysis.[5] The question of the effectiveness of prayer raises fundamental philosophical questions – for example, whether statistical inference and falsifiability are sufficient to “prove” or “disprove” something, and whether the subject even falls into the realm of science.[ 6]

According to The Washington Post, “Prayer is the most common adjunct to mainstream medicine, far surpassing acupuncture, herbs, vitamins and other alternative medicines.” Compared to other scientifically studied areas, there are relatively few carefully monitored studies on prayer. The field remains tiny, with approximately $5 million spent on such research worldwide each year.[7]

Studies in Intercession Prayer

Ego studies[edit]

A praying Bolivian Aymara woman

Studies can confirm that those who pray are affected by the experience, including certain physiological outcomes. An example of a study of meditative prayer was the 2001 Bernardi study in the British Medical Journal. It reported that praying the rosary or reciting yoga mantras at specific rates increased baroreflex sensitivity in cardiovascular activity -patients increased significantly.[8]

A study published in 2008 used Eysenck’s dimensional personality model based on neuroticism and psychoticism to assess high school students’ mental health based on their self-reported frequency of prayer. Among students in both Catholic and Protestant schools, higher levels of prayer were associated with better mental health, as measured by lower scores of psychoticism. However, among students attending Catholic schools, higher levels of prayer were also associated with higher neuroticism scores.[9]

Lourdes: Hoping for a miracle

It has also been suggested that knowing that a person is being prayed for can be uplifting and boost morale, thereby aiding recovery. (See Subject Expectancy Effect.) Studies have shown that prayer can reduce psychological stress regardless of which god or gods a person prays to, a finding consistent with a variety of hypotheses about what could cause such an effect. According to a study by the CentraState Healthcare System, “The psychological benefits of prayer can help reduce stress and anxiety, promote a more positive attitude, and increase the will to live.”[10] Other practices, such as yoga, t’ai chi, and meditation, may differ also have a positive effect on physical and mental health.

A 2001 study by Meisenhelder and Chandler analyzed data from 1,421 Presbyterian pastors surveyed by mail and found that their self-reported frequency of prayer correlated well with their self-perceptions of health and vitality.[11] This research method has inherent problems of self-selection, selection bias, and residual confusion, and the authors acknowledged that the direction of perceived prayer and health relationships “remains inconclusive because of the limitations of correlative research design.”

Third party studies[ edit ]

At least since Francis Galton in 1872, various controlled studies have dealt with the topic of the effectiveness of prayer.[12] Carefully monitored prayer studies are relatively rare, with $5 million being spent on such research worldwide each year.[7] The largest study from the 2006 STEP project found no significant differences in patients recovering from cardiac surgery, whether or not the patients were prayed for.[1][5]

The third-party studies reported either null results, correlated results, or conflicting results where the beneficiaries of the prayer had worsened health outcomes. For example, a meta-analysis of several studies related to distance healing, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2000, examined 2774 patients in 23 studies and found that 13 studies showed statistically significant positive results, 9 studies showed no effect and 1 Study showed a negative result.[13]

A 2003 review of the evidence found evidence supporting the hypothesis that “prayer for improves physical recovery from acute illness.”[14] It concluded that although “a number of studies” have tested this hypothesis, “only three have sufficient accuracy for testing here” (Byrd 1988, Harris et al. 1999, and Sicher et al. 1998). In all three cases, “the strongest results were for the variables that were rated most subjectively,” raising concerns about possible unintended exposure of raters of the results. Other meta-studies of the wider literature have been performed and only show evidence of no effect or a possible small effect. For example, a 2006 meta-analysis of 14 studies concluded that there is “no discernible effect,” while a 2007 systemic review of intercessory prayer reported inconclusive results, noting that 7 of 17 studies had “small but significant effect sizes.” except the review found that the three most methodologically rigorous studies did not yield significant results.[15][16]

Belief and skepticism[edit]

Medical views[ edit ]

Most[a] scientists dismiss “faith healers” practitioners.[18][6][19] Some opponents of the study of faith healing contend that because it is a pseudoscience, this means that by definition it makes no scientific claims and should therefore be treated as a matter of faith, not verifiable by science.[20] Critics counter that claims about medicinal cures should be tested scientifically, because although belief in the supernatural per se is not normally considered a field of science,[21][22][b] claims about reproducible effects are nevertheless the subject of scientific investigation. [18][20]

Scientists and physicians generally find that faith healing lacks biological plausibility or epistemic justification,[6]:30–31, which is one of the criteria used to judge whether clinical research is ethically and financially justified. [24] A Cochrane review of intercessory prayer found that “although some of the results of individual studies suggest a positive effect of intercessory prayer, the majority do not”.[25] The authors concluded: “We are not convinced that further studies should be conducted on this intervention and would prefer that all available resources for such a study be used to investigate other public health issues.”[25]

An article in the Medical Journal of Australia states: “A common criticism of prayer research is that prayer has become a popular therapeutic method for which there is no known plausible mechanism.”[26]

Medical professionals are skeptical of new claims made by studies until they are experimentally reproduced and confirmed. For example, a 2001 study by researchers at Columbia University drew controversy after reports of success in the popular media.[27][28]

Although various medical studies have contradicted each other, doctors have not stopped studying prayer. In part, this may be because prayer is increasingly being used as a coping mechanism for patients.[29]

Skepticism about the scope of prayer

A family at prayer

In a Newsweek debate/interview with Christian evangelical Rick Warren, atheist Sam Harris commented that most lay perceptions of prayer’s effectiveness (personal impressions versus empirical studies) are related to sampling error because “we know people have a terrible… Having sense of probability.” That is, people tend to acknowledge confirmations of their beliefs rather than disappointments.

Harris also criticized existing empirical studies for limiting them to prayer for relatively benign events, such as recovering from heart surgery. He proposed a simple experiment to solve the problem:[30]

Get a billion Christians to pray for a single amputee. Have them pray that God will grow back the missing link. This happens to salamanders every day, presumably without prayer; this is within the ability of God. I find it interesting that people of faith tend to only pray for conditions that limit themselves.

Religious and philosophical questions

Praying to the Madonna of the Rosary, by Caravaggio, 1606-1607

There are religious and philosophical objections to studying the effectiveness of prayer. Some interpret Deuteronomy (6:16 “Thou shalt not try the Lord thy God”[31]) to mean that prayer cannot or should not be tested.

The religious viewpoint objects to the claim that prayer is susceptible to experimental design or statistical analysis and other assumptions in many experiments, e.g. that a thousand prayers are statistically different from one. Objections also include the accusation that religion is generally concerned with one-off, uncontrollable events; Statistics and science in general deal with recurring phenomena that can be sampled or controlled and are susceptible to general laws.

Religious objections also include the complaint that prayer, when measured, ceases to be genuine prayer when included in an experiment, and that the concept of conducting prayer experiments reflects a misunderstanding of the purpose of prayer. The 2006 STEP experiment showed that some of the intercessors involved complained about the prescribed nature of the prayers that were imposed on them,[32] saying that this is not the way they normally perform prayers:

Prior to the start of this study, intercessors reported that they usually received information about patients’ age and gender and progress reports on their health status; talk to relatives or the patient (not by fax from a third party); use individual prayers of their own choosing; and pray for a variable period of time, depending on the patient’s or family’s desire.

Regarding the expectation of an answer to prayer, the 18th-century philosopher William Paley wrote:[33]

To pray for special favor is to dictate to divine wisdom, and smacks of presumption; and to intercede for other individuals or nations is to accept that their happiness depends on our choice and that the thriving of communities depends on our interest.

During the 20th century, philosopher Bertrand Russell believed that religion and science “have long been at war, claiming the same territory, ideas, and allegiances.” And Russell believed that science had decisively won the war.[34] Nearly 40 years earlier, a 22-year-old Russell also wrote: “For although I had long ceased to believe in the efficacy of prayer, I was so lonely and in need of such a support as the Christian God, whom I took to praying again , when I have stopped believing in their effectiveness.”[35]

21st-century evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins describes how Richard Swinburne explained away the negative results of the STEP experiment “on the grounds that God only answers prayers when they are offered for good reasons,”[36] and finds a predictable one Result of the prayer:[ 37]

Other theologians have joined NOMA-inspired skeptics in claiming that studying prayer in this way is a waste of money since supernatural influences are, by definition, beyond the reach of science. But as the Templeton Foundation correctly recognized in funding the study, the alleged power of intercessory prayer is within the reach of science, at least in principle. A double-blind experiment can and has been performed. It could have come to a positive result. And if so, can you imagine a lone religious apologist rejecting it on the grounds that scientific research has no bearing on religious matters? Of course not.

See also[edit]

Notes [edit]

^ [6] :30–31 “Despite the lack of generally accepted criteria of demarcation, we find remarkable agreement among virtually all philosophers and scientists that fields such as astrology, creationism, homeopathy, dowsing, psychokinesis, miraculous healing, clairvoyance, or ufology are either pseudoscience or it.” lacks at least the epistemological justification to be taken seriously.” Martin Mahner, 2013. ^ [23] “The ‘belief’ in miraculous healing refers to an irrational belief unsupported by evidence that mysterious supernatural forces can eradicate disease. Science deals with evidence, not belief.” Bruce Flamm, 2004.

References[ edit ]