Some Obstacles ...

As one who works "full-time" in a prayer ministry, I am amazed at the simplistic thinking that went into framing this study of prayer. You can read the full study, and note many of it's inadequacies and false presumptions online at the American Heart Journal. (see the link below.)

The authors of the report admit that "the study could not overcome perhaps the largest obstacle to prayer study: the unknown amount of prayer each person received from friends, families, and congregations around the world who pray daily for the sick and dying."

While that surely is a large unknown for their "control group" I would suggest there are a number of other immeasurables that they did not consider.

Our centre in Ottawa works with prayer teams from every part of the nation and every type of denomination. We see all kinds of approaches to prayer, and we try to introduce some further insight for those who want to learn to pray more effectively.

We don't rely on our own understanding or years of scientific research. We have a spiritual master who actually has a lot to say about he subject. He was asked by his first disciples, "Teach us to pray." Jesus emphasized quite a number of important dynamics in learning to pray if you want to see results.

Some Things Can't Be Measured ...

He taught about levels of faith, boldness, child-like trust, persistence, desire, and compassion as essential to effective prayer. More than that, he educated his followers on having a correct perception of the God they hoped was listening to their prayers, since a personal relationship with Him was foundational. Jesus also critiqued the prayers of the religious leaders of the day, and explained why their prayers weren't being answered because of their inauthentic nature.

So how does one scientifically measure such things as faith, , boldness, child-likeness, persistence, desire, compassion, and authenticity? And if one could figure out how to measure such matters, wouldn't one need to set up a "control group" that had all these elements at some measured level, against those who did not? Sounds a little more complicated than the approach that the renowned medical school researchers took.

God Is Not An Errand Boy ...

Then there is the whole idea that prayer is some kind of vending machine process which will always spit out an expected result in response to the right kind or amount of intercessory currency. To quote one of my favourite contemporary theologians, Bob Dylan, "You think that God is just an errand boy to satisfy your wandering desires." One has to know the mind and will of the Heavenly Father as one brings their requests before His throne. And it is always in an attitude of humility and submission that we begin our prayers, as Jesus taught us, "Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven."

Ganging up on God?

A friend of mine made the observation after reading about this prayer study, that even if every Christian on earth, millions of them, at the same time and with the same words, ganged up on God and demanded for Him to perform an action that He was not willing to do, we could not change His mind. He is the sovereign God, Almighty and All-Wise.

The bumper sticker states, "Prayer Changes Things." Thank God that's true! But prayer doesn't change the character of God. It changes us to the point where we pray according to His greater and more loving desires and will.

That's a lesson you learn on your knees, not in a laboratory.

1. Teach Me To Pray is a 52 week, free school of prayer by Eddie & Alice Smith which comes to your inbox once a week. Founders of PrayUSA, they are possibly the best-known American teachers on this subject, with many books to their credit.

2. Mothers Who Care is a ministry of Campus Crusade that organizes prayer for schools across the country. Just in time for school you can learn about how to pray more effectively for your local campus. You can also register your local effort with them and then begin to receive many great resources.