Praying is a part of our faith as believers. But actually what is the view of prayer from a scientific point of view? Is it possible to study and are there measurable benefits? This is interesting because prayer is something spiritual while science is related to scientific facts. However it turns out there are several studies that examine prayer and find the benefits of prayer for physical and mental health. As a man of faith, we believe that sickness and health is something that is given by God, thus He is the one who could take it. That is why many people use a miracle healing prayer request to help them heal and recover from illness and sickness they suffer. The relation of prayer and healing is something we cannot deny.
Focusing on God will reduce pain. One of the advantages of praying is that it increases focus and concentration. This is what was discovered by Ken Pargement of Bowling Green State University. They asked a group of people suffering from migraines to be asked to meditate for 20 minutes. Partakers were required to recite the expression, “God is love. God is Peace. God is good.” While, another assembly was asked to tell a sentence that held nothing spiritual, “The grass is green. The sand is soft.” As a result, those who concentrate on God have fewer pains than those who don’t.
In a study, it was found that people who pray every day will have a 40% less chance of having high blood pressure than those who don’t. While researchers found that those who had strong religious beliefs were more likely to recover from heart surgery three times more than those who were less religious. A 2011 University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center study also showed that when paired with medication, praying will help asthmatics. Well, there are many benefits to pray for our physical and mental health, yes. However, if you fall ill, don’t neglect healing efforts through prayer. The inner effort should coexist with medical treatment for the best results.
