Did a Scientific Study Prove that Prayer Doesn't Work?

According to a story in the New York Times, prayer by strangers had no effect on the recovery of people undergoing heart surgery, a study had found. The study was conducted for nearly a decade, involving more than 1 ,800 patients.

Whether or not the patients were prayed for, or even if they knew they were being prayed for, it did not speed up their recovery. It's one of the most popular studies skeptics have used to say, see, prayer doesn't work.

Prayer, Skeptical Studies, and How Prayer Actually Works

But those skeptics, and those who conducted the study, don't understand how prayer works. There are qualifications for prayer. Psalm 66, 18, if I cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened to my prayer.

James 4, 3, you ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on your passions. John 14, 6 says Jesus is the only way to the Father, and 1 Timothy 2, 5 says he's the only mediator between God and man.

Prayer in Jesus’ Name and God’s Sovereign Answer

So prayers to Mary, or a false version of God, aren't received. We are to pray in Jesus' name. But even then, the Bible does not promise God will grant a person's wishes. The Apostle Paul prayed three times for the Lord to take away what was tormenting him.

But God replied, Paul said he would boast all the more gladly of his weaknesses, content with hardships, insults, and persecutions, so the power of Christ would rest upon him. Prayer works for God's glory, before it's for our benefit.

Thanksgiving, Peace, and the Closing Summary

With thanksgiving to the Lord, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of Christ will come to you when we understand the text.