WWJD By Dr. Richard Youngblood
Question: What do you think Jesus would say about scientific
studies to prove that prayer works?
A recent issue of Christianity Today discussed two highly-acclaimed prayer studies: a 1988 study in San Francisco and a ten-year $2.4 million study completed three years ago at Harvard Medical School. The Harvard study involved prayer for three groups of heart bypass patients. Committed and experienced Christians prayed for two of the groups while the third group was not included in their prayers. Only one of the groups knew that someone was praying for them. The 1988 study seemed to confirm prayer as an aid to the healing process, but the Harvard study showed a negative effect upon the patients who received prayers.
While we understand the desire of some Christians for scientific proof in support of prayer, we need to realize that the nature of prayer as taught in the Bible places it outside our ability to verify in this manner. We cannot place God in a box or under a microscope for human investigation. Jesus taught his followers to pray to God as “Our Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9) because he is an eternal, active and transcendent person. We can no more predict what or when God might act than modern psychology has been able to predict what humans may do. His answer to our prayers will always be dependent upon what his wisdom and love decide is best.
In addition, by teaching
his followers to pray, “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10), Jesus was teaching that
God is not an impersonal force that responds in some automatic and predictable
fashion to input from humans. Neither
is the Heavenly Father a celestial Santa Claus who automatically puts our
requests on his list, checks it twice and delivers on time. Even flawed humans exercise their judgment to
determine what is best for the children they love. As our loving Father, God wisely exercises
his judgment to determine when and how he should answer our prayers. We cannot quantify these factors in a
scientific experiment.
Not only did Jesus
teach his followers to pray for God’s will to be done, but just before his
death on the cross, he prayed in the same manner. He prayed that this cup of suffering might be
removed from him; yet he placed himself in submission to the Father saying,
“Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). The studies mentioned
above would have counted this prayer of Jesus as unanswered. He suffered and died. But God in his love knew that was best not
only for Jesus but also for the entire world.
How do you factor the will of God into the design of a scientific study of
prayer?
Finally, any attempt to
design a scientific study of prayer and healing cannot factor in the goodness
and love of God even for those who do not pray.
Jesus said, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). God created all of
us in his own image and loves us even when we do not love him (Genesis 1:26-27;
Romans 5:8). We cannot realize the full
benefit of that love until we love and trust him, but this does not keep him
from trying to draw us to him by blessing and healing us even when we do not
love him back.
I believe that God answers prayer, but only by faith
can we know that God answers our prayers.
He
has promised to hear our prayers, including prayers for the sick (James
5:14-18). We must also understand that prayer is not about getting what we
humans may ask. It is about submissively
placing ourselves in the hands of a wise, loving and all-knowing God so he may
do that which is in our best interest eternally. Whatever may happen, I choose to trust him
absolutely. What about you?
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