the power of prayer and other random thoughts

The other night, I was talking with my kids about praying. We're not a religious family. We do not bow our heads before dinner. And we don't kneel before bed. But I pray in my mind from time to time. I pray out loud when an ambulance goes by. I speak my wishes for peace and truth and all of that. I may not have religious convictions, but I certainly and most definitely believe in the POWER OF PRAYER.

A friend of ours is sick. And we want him to get better. So, we had a discussion about the power of prayer. How if we do it every day or night and we all do it together, it's possible - and likely - our prayers alone could have a positive effect.

And then the conversation turned quite deep. We talked about the energy of the world. How our prayers are strong enough to affect it. And then we talked about the war on energy. But that's kind of a different topic. It's a subject my son is reporting on at school. Quite impressive for 5th grader, eh.

Anyway, here's some info I gathered from ehow.com on the power of prayer.

Studies have shown that prayer can have a profound effect. A study done on coronary care patients in San Francisco's General Hospital using prayer between August of 1982 to May of 1983 showed surprisingly positive results. The group of patients that had been prayed for had better health results than those who had not been prayed for. They also required less medication during their recovery.
A study conducted by Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC involving 4,000 people over age 65 found that people who pray on a regular basis and attend religious services have lower blood pressure than those who do not.
In an extensive study by Dr. Dale Matthews it was shown that prayer had a profound effect on people suffering from arthritis. Those prayed for had less pain, swelling and greater mobility.
A study conducted by cardiologist Dr. Randolph Byrd in 1988 showed a marked result in patients that were prayed for in that many of them were released from the hospital sooner, required less medication and and suffered less cardiac complications.
Studies have also shown that prayers can effect water, mold, bacteria and other substances. It should be mentioned though that several studies have had mixed results leaving the consensus to wonder why prayer has worked in some instances but did not seem to have the same level of effect in others.

And all of this prayer talk got me to thinking about Cyndi Lauper. So weird, right? Remember that movie where she could move things with her mind? Vibes! Yes, that movie rocks. Check out the trailer:



Well, if you believe in the power of prayer, maybe you can pray for my friend, too?

Thanks y'all.

xxoo,
Gilda