Few scientifically-rigorous surveys have been done of the
efficacy of intercessory prayer. One of the most famous recent ones was the
STEP (Study of the Therapeutic Effects of intercessory Prayer) in 2006, which
used double-blind protocols and randomized patient groups. Here 1,802 coronary
artery bypass patients at six hospitals were prayed for by the congregations of
three Christian churches
However...the prayed-for patients’ group suffered slightly
worse from 30-day mortality and complications than the group who were not
prayed for; worst off were the patients who were both prayed for and were also
told that they would be prayed for - in
the later case it was suggested that being told they would be prayed for may
have made them fear that they were exceptionally sick – needing prayers! - and
thus made them more susceptible to disease.
The limited number of meta-studies of controlled research into
multiple prayer efforts also suggests that prayer has little or no positive
effect. What conclusions can we draw?
First, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence that points to
positive outcomes for personal prayer, for prayer said for family members or
friends (as opposed to groups of people praying for other groups of people). Second,
it is impossible to quantify the ‘mass’ or ‘quality’ of prayer efforts directed
by or for individuals or groups, or to understand the workings of prayer
mechanics (or to segregate the impact of third party prayer activity) so I’m
not convinced ‘scientific’ research is meaningful in this area. Third, for
Christians, I suspect it is improper and probably self-defeating to effectively
challenge the author of the source of healing to cooperate in demonstrations, as
if we were looking for magic or a cause and effect mechanism.
So, is it still worth praying, especially praying for
others?
Undoubtedly. The Bible is full of instructions to pray, relentlessly,
in confidence and faith - it even gives a recommended format in the ‘Our Father...’ In the book of James, the author specifically recommends
praying for the sick. While all prayers are heard, we are told that the prayers
of the righteous are particularly powerful, however, nowhere does it guarantee that
the results will be what we desire. The anticipatory model is that of
Gethsemane, where Jesus, distressed and in agony, first prayed for the cup to
be removed from Him (and then that the will of His Father be done).
As usual, the Catechism has a wise angle on matters. While
the Vatican II-inspired full Catechism of
the Catholic Church is an unerring guide on matters of faith, I’ve been
increasingly struck by the Youcat, a
brilliant contemporary version aimed at youth.
It’s a practical reference too. For example, it quotes the
saintly Cure of Ars who advised a brother priest complaining of a lack of
success in his prayers ”You have prayed,
you have sighed...but have you fasted too? Have you kept vigil?’ Or perhaps
we are asking for the wrong things; St. Teresa of Avila once said “Do not pray for lighter burdens, pray for a
stronger back.”
It makes the point that true prayer does not aim for a
superficial success but for increasing intimacy with God. The saints also struggled
with prayer, experiencing interior emptiness and dryness, even an occasional aversion
to prayer, but ‘to persevere faithfully
is itself a prayer’...God’s apparent
silence is itself an invitation to take a step further – in total devotion,
boundless faith, endless expectation. Anyone who prays must allow God the
complete freedom to speak whenever He wants, to grant whatever He wants, and to
give Himself however He wants.’
What I understand from this is that, in a sense, the goal of prayer is not external results but
conversion, our prayer becoming our life.
Mmmh... 
