What to Make of 'Scientific' Studies on Prayer?
Albert Mohler
Posted: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 at 2:16 am ET

When studies in recent years purported to show that prayer "works," quite a few Christian leaders championed the research as evidence that prayer can be scientifically and medically verified and validated. I did not join in that celebration for three reasons. First, I do not believe that Christians should look for any validation of prayer (or any other Christian doctrine or discipline, for that matter) from the world of science or empirical research. Second, I do not believe that Christians should accept a generic definition or conception of prayer in the first place. Those earlier studies made reference to prayer without stipulating to whom the prayer is addressed. Third, Christians do not believe that prayer heals, but that God heals. Prayer is often involved in the healing that God grants, but it is not the prayer that heals.

Now, a flurry of media reports follows the release of a major new study that claims to prove that prayer doesn't work. These reports should not concern any believing Christian. The efficacy of prayer is beyond the reach of scientific investigation, and Christians offer intercessory prayers because we are commanded by God to do so, not because we believe in a mechanistic deal with the Deity. We trust our sovereign God to do what is right. We do not place our faith in prayer as an end in itself. the rest