Do you believe in the healing power of prayer? While it is said that it can't actually be proven that
prayers can
cure specific illnesses, there are plenty of doctors that cannot give any other explanation for
recovery from those illnesses.It is known that religion as well as
spirituality can cause a
reduction in stress, and do wonders for the immune system.
"When I started interviewing elderly patients for a study when I was an undergrad," says Colleen McClain-
Jacobson, a researcher at Fordham University in New York City. "it seemed that people for whom religion had
played a major role throughout their lives were aging better than those who weren't religious.A handful of studies
have looked at spirituality and immune function and found a connection."
Dr. Koenig did a study of 4,000 adults, and found that the people who prayed daily and also attended
religious services on a weekly basis had 40% less hypertension than those who did not attend the weekly
services, or pray. Also, it has been found that women who considered spirituality as very
important had stronger
immune systems that those who did not consider it to be so important.
There have been many other studies conducted pertaining to prayer and spirituality, with many of the same
results.Everyone has their own beliefs, but it might be worth considering.I personally have talked with people
who claim that healing has taken place during much prayer in their lives, and as I become more consistent
in my spirituality, and take time to pray more often, I hope to see some of these positive results in my own life.