The word prayer is derived from the two Sanskrit words pra and artha meaning pleading fervently. In other words, it is asking God (or whatever term you would like to use for a higher power) for something with intense yearning. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center analysis, 90% of U.S. adults say they believe in God or a higher power of some kind. In times of crisis, whether a personal crisis, a family crisis, a national crisis, or one like today's global pandemic crisis, many Americans turn to prayer. How often they pray and who they pray for varies greatly. The Pew survey data revealed that 55% of Americans pray every day, while 75% pray at least once per week and 23% seldom or never pray. Even among those who are religiously unaffiliated, 20% say they pray daily. Of people who pray, 82% say they pray for family and friends, and 74% say they pray for their own wants and needs.
According to these findings, prayer is an action that most people perform routinely. So, what are the main benefits of regular prayer? Research has shown that prayer induces relaxation, along with feelings of hope, gratitude, empathy and compassion -- all of which increase overall well-being. Studies indicate that prayer reduces anxiety and depression. A reduction in anxiety allows people to process and react to external events with a more cognitive rather than emotional manner. At a time in which there is worldwide concern over a virus without a treatment, a strategic and holistic approach to problem solving is a good thing. Lower stress levels, healthy habits and a strong spiritual life could be key to beating the coronavirus. An exhaustive review that compared spirituality to other health interventions found that people with a strong spiritual life had an 18% reduction in mortality.
When it comes to dealing with illness, most Americans pray to a higher power for help. Nearly nine of ten Americans have relied upon healing prayer at some point in their lives, praying for others even more than for themselves. In his superb book, "Reinventing Medicine," Larry Dossey, MD, cites multiple double-blind university studies that measured the effectiveness of prayer as a healing modality. For example, they would track a hundred people in the surgical recovery ward of a hospital, fifty of whom were being prayed for without their knowledge, the other fifty of whom were not. In every case, the group receiving prayer -- even though they didn't know it -- recovered faster, had fewer complications, scored significantly higher on emotional and mental wellbeing, and performed better by every other metric the researchers could think to record.
Alternative medicine researchers have classified prayer as a mind-body intervention, and thus, a modality of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). According to the Washington Post, "...prayer is the most common complement to mainstream medicine, far outpacing acupuncture, herbs, vitamins and other alternative remedies." Studies have suggested that prayer can reduce psychological stress, regardless of the god or gods a person prays to. According to a study by CentraState Healthcare System, "the psychological benefits of prayer may help reduce stress and anxiety, promote a more positive outlook, and strengthen the will to live."
The research findings indicate that, despite the increasing growth in scientific medicine, traditional prayer is still very much alive. Outside of belief in a higher power, there may be no more ubiquitous spiritual expression in the U.S. than use of healing prayer. It is a cultural way of coping with health problems. I have only one word of caution if you're thinking of trying this for yourself. I believe that for prayer to be effective, it must be sincere and from the heart. If you can do that with a script, by all means, do it! But most of us can't. Let your prayer be a conversation, not just talking to a higher power, but also listening for a response.
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