How Should We Respond to “Answered Prayer” Research?
In a previous article,1 we have responded to the claim of atheistic authors such as Richard Dawkins and Dan Barker that research has proven God does not answer prayer (allegedly, He does not answer prayer because He does not exist). We have pointed out the impossibility of any scientific study to measure practical effects wrought by prayer, because of the presence of essential causal factors that are inaccessible to the observer(s). The Bible guarantees an affirmative answer to prayer (Matthew 7:7-11; Mark 11:22-24; 1 John 5:14-15; etc.) only to those who meet eight qualifications, each of which is spiritual, internal/mental, intangible, and non-quantifiable. In brief, the person praying must:
- Be a Christian, living righteously (James 5:16; 1 Peter 3:12).
- Be a Bible student, with the Word of God abiding in him (John 15:7).
- Understand what he is praying and sincerely mean it (1 Corinthians 14:15).
- Pray humbly (Luke 18:9-14).
- Pray with proper motives, unselfishly (James 4:3).
- Pray with confidence that God will answer in the affirmative (James 1:5-8).
- Pray within the will of God (1 John 5:14-15).
- Pray persistently, not giving up on prayer because of any challenges (Luke 11:5-8; 18:1-8).
Notice particularly the seventh qualification on this list. A person praying within the will of God makes requests based on his personal preferences (Philippians 4:6-7) but acknowledges two important points: First, God may have a different plan in mind; and second, God’s response to prayer may be to provide a primarily spiritual, intangible benefit. The Christian thus prays on two levels: (1) Making personal requests; (2) Making a higher, overarching request that the Lord’s will be done. The Lord can respond negatively on the first level while still responding favorably on the second level (as He always does for His children). As an example, consider Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39-42) or the apostle Paul’s prayer concerning his thorn in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). In each of these cases, God said “No” to the personal request, but said “Yes” to an overarching request that His will be done.
Having said this, we should emphasize two points: First, the research on answered prayer is far from conclusive. And second, the fact that science cannot establish that prayers are answered should produce no crisis of faith on the part of praying Christians, because the most important answers to prayers are spiritual blessings. Consider each of these points in turn.
Inconclusive Research
Happily, the Christian is not in the awkward position of having to admit that the research appears to show uniformly that prayer has no practical impact. In fact, the research is clearly inconclusive on this point. If we meet the skeptic on the ground of empirical data, we are prepared to show that prayer cannot be proven ineffective even on that basis. David R. Hodge of Arizona State University surveyed 17 studies concerning intercessory prayer (request on behalf of another person). Hodge’s data was published in the journal Research on Social Work Practice. His conclusion was as follows:
Some have found positive results for prayer. Others have found no effect. Conducting a meta-analysis takes into account the entire body of empirical research on intercessory prayer. Using this procedure, we find that prayer offered on behalf of another yields positive results. . . . Overall, the meta-analysis indicates that prayer is effective. Is it effective enough to meet the standards of the American Psychological Association’s Division 12 for empirically validated interventions? No. Thus, we should not be treating clients suffering with depression, for example, only with prayer. To treat depression, standard treatments, such as cognitive therapy, should be used as the primary method of treatment.2
Hodge’s journal article pointed out that many social workers use prayer, and the studies he reviewed found some effect sizes for the use of intercessory prayer.3
These results, while helpful in the first steps of discussions with skeptics, do not mean that the Christian reliance upon prayer rests on academic studies of prayer’s alleged effects. In fact, the Christian belief in prayer is not even based upon our own experience with prayer, however profound such may be. Rather, our trust that prayer works—in the way the Bible says it works—is based on the testimony of the inspired Word of God.
Spiritual Blessings are the Primary Result of Answered Prayer
We cannot ask for anything better than for the will of our loving Father to be done (Matthew 7:7-11). When the Christian looks for the most significant answers to prayer, he seeks results that draw more people to a relationship with God and a home in heaven with Him. After all, the goal of this life is not to accumulate earthly blessings, but to lay up treasures in heaven to the glory of God (Isaiah 43:6-7; Matthew 6:19-21; Ecclesiastes 12:13). Paul’s prayer concerning the thorn in the flesh is a perfect example. The apostle did not receive relief from his thorn in the flesh (whatever it may have been), but he received something much more valuable—a help to overcome the temptation to the sin of pride, which will keep a person out of heaven (1 Timothy 3:6; James 4:6). Although the result of Paul’s prayer would have resulted in a “negative” mark in a scientific study on prayer, his prayer was so beneficial that it may be the very thing that preserved his salvation, which is (literally) incalculably more beneficial than temporary, earthly relief of suffering. May God help us to keep the proper perspective of prayer, conditioned by the overall teaching of His word on the subject.
Endnotes
1 Kyle Butt (2010), “Defending the Bible’s Position on Prayer,” Apologetics Press, https://apologeticspress.org/defending-the-bibles-position-on-prayer-3483/.
2 “Does God Answer Prayer? ASU Research Says ‘Yes’” (2007), Arizona State University News, https://news.asu.edu/content/does-god-answer-prayer-asu-research-says-yes.
3 D.R. Hodge (2007), “A Systematic Review of the Empirical Literature on Intercessory Prayer,” Research on Social Work Practice, 17[2]:174-187.
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