Does Intercession Work?

Over this past weekend, a number of major news outlets carried the story of the results of the largest, most scientifically rigorous study of the effects of intercessory prayer. Led by Dr. Herbert Benson of Harvard University, the STEP (Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer) protocol involved 1802 patients receiving a coronary artery bypass graft procedure at six major hospitals throughout the country. In case you haven't heard, the results are that intercession, as conducted in this study, appeared to have no positive effect on reducing the number of complications of the cardiac patients for whom prayer was intentionally offered. Indeed, within one group of those who were told they would be prayed for and actually were prayed for, the results were slightly worse (59 percent rate of complications) than for a group who had been told they might receive prayer but were not prayed for as part of this study (52 percent). For more details about the study, see this abstract from the American Heart Journal (publication April 6, 2006, at www.sciencedirect.com).

The STEP study is not the first to arrive at this kind of result. There was also the MANTRA II study, completed last fall (September 2005), which reached a similar conclusion with a similar set of patients — people undergoing cardiac procedures (in this case, angioplasty) at major hospitals. (See the full article in The Lancet at www.thelancet.com — free registration required). These two studies, to date, have been the most methodologically careful studies of the possible effects of "distant prayer" on the medical outcomes of patients undergoing cardiac procedures.

The limitations of such studies are significant. In most scientific studies regarding treatment intervention, "dosage" is an important factor. There is no current way to specify what a "dose" of intercessory prayer looks like. There is also no way to know how many other people may or may not have been offering intercession for a given patient — again, a dose-related issue — although in the MANTRA II study, some 89 percent of all patients reported having received some kind of prayer support from sources other than those who may have been assigned by the study to pray for them. What these two studies reveal, then, is simply that the people who were studied did not show any significant improvements in condition if the prayer teams employed in the respective studies prayed for them.

An additional limitation in the STEP study may important as well: The people who offered intercession had no more information about those for whom they were praying than a first name and a last initial. They had no other relationship with those for whom they were praying and no knowledge beyond the fact that the person was having a cardiac procedure and that what was asked for was a successful operation, quick recovery, and no complications. These conditions to demonstrate effectiveness may not be appropriate tests of whether intercession on behalf of those for whom there is some relationship may lead to any better outcomes. Nor does it take into account the possibility that "something like a god" could decide to answer "No." Of course, the latter would not be an appropriate condition to test scientifically in the first place.

What does all this mean for us in our ministry of intercession as local congregations and as disciples of Jesus Christ? Several things, I think.

First, we need to be careful consumers of scientific research. The findings of any scientific study depend very heavily upon research design and the rigor with which the protocols of the research are followed. Typically, scientific research is, by its very nature, intended to discover findings in a very narrow field of view. This is because scientific research is also, by nature, exclusivist in its methodology; that is, it seeks by all means possible to eliminate the possibility of extraneous causes having an effect upon the results of the experiment. So before leaping to any conclusions about the results of any research on any matters, we need to be sure that we understand the specific questions, methodology, meaning, and limits of the specific findings of each study.

Second, we may learn from such research what appears not to be helpful practice. Both the MANTRA II and now the STEP results indicate that praying for a quick recovery and a lack of complications for cardiac patients with whom we have very little connection may not be beneficial, if we measure that benefit in terms of the number of complications that are actually experienced by those for whom we might pray under these conditions. To generalize much more than this from these findings would be to practice irresponsible science.

Third, there remains much we do not know about the effects (or lack thereof) of prayer for others. Many studies have confirmed the value of prayer by people who are sick. (However, this article in The Lancet identifies significant problems and conflicts in such research). What is not known is what form or forms of prayer seem to produce the greatest benefits in terms of reduced physical symptoms or complications. A number of studies led by Dr. Harold Koenig and Dr. Herbert Benson (at Duke and Harvard, respectively) have found "meditational" techniques to produce a significant level of change in brain activity and at least in the perception of physical results. (For a foundational article involving Benson, see the NeuroReort article).

Meanwhile, as individuals and as congregations, we seek to live out our biblical mandate to pray for others — for the mission of the church, for leaders in the nations of the world, for health and healing, for justice and peace, for the good of all creation, for forgiveness of others as we forgive, for daily bread, for freedom from the power of sin and evil, and for the fullness of God's kingdom to be revealed and realized in our midst. Indeed, in the letter from James, we are called to offer nothing less than "fervent prayer"; and in Paul's letter to the Philippians, he calls for "prayer without ceasing."

We have much more to learn — and perhaps even more to examine —about the value of our own practices of prayer, personal and corporate. May we be open to learn in every way we can, that we may grow up in every way we can into the fullness of the image of Christ, our Great Intercessor.