Does prayer really work or is it just a figment of the imagination?
Most of us are really frightened of taking an honest look at such a question. Somehow we seem to fear that God will strike us down with a bolt of lightening for doubting such a thing. If one really thinks about it, it's not too hard to realize that believing that a bolt of lightning will surge from the sky with the specific purpose of incinerating a living being for a thought that person is having is just simply downright insane. I mean really. I think God would have eventually made the bolt of lightening theory one of the laws of physics, just like the law of gravity, if we were truly struck just a fraction of the times we deserved to be struck. How many people do you know that have have been struck down? Are you aware of any person that could benefit from a good jolt but just hasn't received it? In the context of analyzing this common absurdity of being struck by a lightening bolt, the question of whether prayer works or not is a perfectly sane and legitimate question. The atheist would immediately answer no, where as the agnostic answers I doubt it, and the person of strong faith considers one a fool for posing the question in the first place.
I love psychology and psychiatry because they allow an observer to take a step even beyond philosophy, in my opinion. Philosophy doesn't offer a satisfactory definition for the reality of intuition and intuitive thought. I have no doubts of whether or not intuition exists for I have experienced it many times on different occasions. Intuition can be described as that gut feeling we sometimes experience. Intuition is the act of knowing something to be true by just knowing. Explanations or scientific proof are not required in matters of true intuition. However, there is a thin line between intuition and delusion. Most of the truly great individuals in history were thought by certain others to be a little nuts to the point their fate may have included some brutal form of murder such as crucifixion, burning at the stake, beheading, or mortal gunshot wounds. Was it the victim who was really crazy or the ones who murdered them? In a more modern context we may pose the question if the thousands of lives lost in the Iraq affair have been really worth it? One may convince themselves to believe any of a number of ridiculous rationalizations but it will always boil down to lives for oil and power. Basic law proclaims that deadly force is only the appropriate choice when one is threatened by deadly force. There really should be no exceptions to such a basic and universal law but the human mind is capable of rationalizing anything that benefits the psyche of the individual. Cain felt Abel should die, brother or no brother. I don't recall reading that Cain ever repented or admitted to a mistake, but I could be wrong. But I digress.
Returning to my original point about the effectiveness of prayer, it is my personal belief that prayer does work very much. That said, I do not believe that we will necessarily be satisfied with the answer received. There is even a remedy for this dissatisfaction which is to continue to pray asking God to give you the serenity to accept the things that will not change. We must accept that there is a greater reality than the one we experience in this life. Belief in God mandates that we accept his will, regardless of the emotions we are forced to endure. This can only be accomplished through prayer. Whether or not we believe in prayer or God, for that matter, is irrelevant for it has no impact on what is ultimately true. Everyday almost I listen to a patient tell me that their spouse, family member, or friend doesn't believe in psychiatric medicine. What that person believes will never affect how I approach my work for I possess the enlightenment of past successes and knowledge accumulated. I don't mind telling a patient that if they know somebody that knows something that will work for them better than what I can offer then they are quite foolish not to have taken advantage of it by now. The patient understanding of this point usually does well with treatment.
My life's journey thus far has carried me through many experiences. Many have been unpleasant but I am trying to learn to appreciate the bad experiences as well as the good for it is true that without struggle there is not progress, adversity builds character, and God will never expect us to endure more than that which we are capable of. I'm praying for a miracle for you and for me. Be blessed.
spirituality and mental health