Daily Health Center

The Power of Prayer in Healing

I love the holiday season! It doesn't matter what our individual beliefs may be, the many and various winter holidays carry the same great message whether we celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or any of the other numerous winter holidays that exist throughout the world. It's a message that nearly everyone can agree we must keep as the focus of our respective prayers: Peace on Earth.

I know that prayers for peace can help to bring about the desired effect because prayer is a powerful meditative process that has been shown to work. Many physicians and health care providers have discovered it to be an incredibly effective healing therapy.

Nearly 15 years ago, research was presented during a conference at Harvard Medical School that showed that people who attend church frequently or pray regularly have lower rates of heart disease, hypertension, and suicide. Those who prayed even lived longer than those who did not.

A Personal Experience With Healing Prayers

I had a first-hand experience of what the power of prayer can accomplish. Several years ago, my son Drew was a 15-year-old place kicker on his high school football team. He injured his knee on the last play of the final game of the season. An MRI revealed blood in the joint, torn cartilage, and possible ligament damage. The orthopedic surgeon told Drew his "football career was over," but he also advised us to get a second opinion.

In the days that followed, many people, including a group at our church, prayed for the healing of Drew's knee. As the word spread, many family, friends, and even strangers joined in the circle of prayers. It was then that I believe a miracle happened. When an orthopedic surgeon at Yale New Haven Hospital examined Drew three weeks later for our second opinion, he found the knee to be perfectly intact—no inflammation, swelling, or pain. The examining physician declared that the knee had healed.

The Miracle of Prayer

According to Rosemary Ellen Guiley, author of The Miracle of Prayer and other books on spirituality and consciousness, our prayers are always answered. Guiley reminds us that "answers" come in many forms—such as events, opportunities, synchronicities, or even a word spoken by others. Sometimes we may not recognize the response because we expected too much and are used to having obvious answers.

In her book, which is no longer in print but can be purchased through used book dealers on www.Amazon.com, Guiley talks about seven essentials that will enrich your prayer life:

1. Be honest with yourself and God.
2. Make every thought a prayer. Your thoughts create your reality. Whatever you think, you can become. In order to become successful with your prayers, we must first rid ourselves of negative thinking.
3. Make your life your prayer; in other words, "practice what you believe." Many people ask and beg for providence during prayer time, but the rest of their lives they are living in complete opposition to their relationship with God.
4. Pray regularly. Do not wait for problems or a crisis to move you to pray. It is important to set aside some time each day, perhaps even a few minutes, for prayer periods. I know that when I pray at night, it doesn't just put closure on the day. I sleep better and my dream life is affected.
5. Pray in a group. Remember that group prayer is both comforting and powerful.
6. Be willing to trust and surrender—completely turning the matter over to God. Realize that it is an act of courage to place our lives in God's hands rather than think we have all of the answers. It may be difficult to surrender, especially in the middle of a crisis. However, the more you pray that God's will be done rather than your own desires, and the more you are willing to surrender yourself to God's will, the more you can trust in your faith that all will be well.
7. Give thanks. Every time you pray, be thankful you are blessed with your life and the continued opportunities that you have to connect with others.

When you include prayer in your daily life, you will begin to notice some changes. You may become more open to life, less rigid and inflexible, and more centered. You may find it easier to resolve your problems and cope with stressful situations. Your relationships with others will deepen. All of this will be reflected in your healing heart, and you will, indeed, feel closer to a higher power.

Medicine and religion are indeed the twin traditions of healing. Physician and Rabbi Eric R. Braverman, M.D., believes that physicians should have spiritual and secular training. Drawing on the power of the divine, the efficacy of prayer can have tremendous implications in healing your heart. I encourage you to go with it, and if you have heart disease or any other health problem, pray for the health of your heart and bless every day that you are alive.

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