As I said previously, the study involves putting God to the test. Does prayer work or not?I’m looking for, why, after ALL those people praying for heart study patients to have few complications and a speedy recovery, why the outcome was near 50/50.
It would seem to me that with all that praying, we’d see a higher number of patients do better.
Don’t demand that God to do more than what Jesus asked for himself."He advanced a little and fell prostrate in prayer, saying, “My Father,* if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will.”
Matthew 26:39
Does that go for all the friends, relatives, chaplains etc who were praying, or just the intercessors in the study?As I said previously, the study involves putting God to the test. Does prayer work or not?
Its not what prayer is for.
Its why the study was flawed to begin with
Prayer is to help us receive the grace to get through whatever we’re going through.
Prayer also involves God working through the medical professionals who do the surgery and care for the patient.
Remember when Jesus prayed.
Don’t demand that God to do more than what Jesus asked for himself.
Jim
AllDoes that go for all the friends, relatives, chaplains etc who were praying, or just the intercessors in the study?
Because the families and friends weren’t part of the study.Does that go for all the friends, relatives, chaplains etc who were praying, or just the intercessors in the study?
You knew that, right?Because the families and friends weren’t part of the study.
The study I’m reading doesn’t specify who was doing the praying, only that the groups were divided into three groups.You knew that, right?
No. 96% of the patients reported having friends and family praying for them. Then one can expect nurses and chaplains to be praying too.The study I’m reading doesn’t specify who was doing the praying, only that the groups were divided into three groups.
All the members of each group were told that they may or may not be having people pray for them.
The study from Harvard University Medical, dealt with people who had complications from cardiac surgery to see if intercessory prayer worked or didn’t. The conclusion was that it did not.
But keep in mind, these are people with cardiac complications. In other words, malfunctioning hearts.
Its like praying for a person who lost a limb, for God to grow a new one back.
Jim
One issue;No. 96% of the patients reported having friends and family praying for them. Then one can expect nurses and chaplains to be praying too.
So, its not traditional prayer, which would be from people who love God and resign themselves to His will.Unlike traditional intercessory prayers, STEP investigators imposed limitations on the usual way prayer-givers would normally provide prayer. The researchers standardized the start and duration of prayers and provided only the patients’ first name and last initial. Prayers began on the eve or day of surgery and continued daily for 14 days. Everyone prayed for received the same standardized prayer. Providing the names of patients directed prayer-givers away from a desire to pray for everyone participating in the study. Because the study was designed to investigate intercessory prayer, the results cannot be extrapolated to other types of prayer. web.med.harvard.edu/sites/RELEASES/html/3_31STEP.html