Prayer Power
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Prayer Power
A powerful practice probably as old as humankind, prayer is part of virtually every religion in the world. Even when practiced outside of religion, prayer is still rooted in the belief in a power larger and wiser than ourselves that can influence lives. In recent years the most comprehensive federal survey of 30,000 Americans discovered that the use of spiritual prayer for self-healing outstrips all other alternative medical therapies. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health reported that 43 percent of us pray for health, and 74 have used prayer sometime in our lives. After prayer for self-healing, top therapies include praying for others, use of natural products, deep breathing and participation in prayer groups.
As a clinical manager of one integrated medicine hospital clinic notes, "The spiritual dimension is a big component of health here." Some Americans use prayer instead of conventional medical care, an area that the federal government continues to study, and which could ultimately affect qualification for insurance coverage. Meanwhile, scientific evidence of the connection between prayer, health, quality of life and longevity continues to mount.
An example of one worldwide church community that has set the standard for spiritual healing through prayer alone may be found at powerfulprayer.com.
