When a person ask for prayer and receive it, could it be the Placebo effect making it appear to work?

Sure it could...that's the definition of the placebo effect. Faith is a powerful thing no matter where you put that faith. A common characteristic of most highly successful people (no matter what their field) is that they have faith in themselves. Having faith that a medical treatment will work can actually make it work.

That's why we use double blind studies in experimental research. If we want to separate the placebo effect from the true effect of the treatment, we need to control for the placebo effect by using a control group and by keeping the identity of the treatment and control groups a secret for the subjects and the researchers.

Interestingly, several articles published in peer-reviewed journals studied the effect of prayer on hospital patients. The treatment in the study was to have a group of Christians pray daily for a period of time for a specific person they had never met. Half the patients in the study were prayed for and the other half weren't...neither the doctors collecting the various measures nor the patients in either group knew which individuals were being prayed for by strangers. The results showed a significant positive impact on the prayed-for group. Critics might suggest that not every measure they used to assess various health-related outcomes showed this positive; however, when the difference between the groups was statistically significant, it was consistently positive in favor of the prayed-for group.

So yes, the placebo effect can make people believe that prayer is working and that faith can actually have the desired effect...but I don't think that's a bad thing. More importantly, several scientific studies support the hypothesis that prayer can have positive effects well beyond the placebo effect!

I feel that is generally possible. However, placeboes will not ever last past a special factor. If what you hear just isn't God, then the message will fade and so will the outcome. For these of us who have had miracles performed of their lives that can't be defined away by way of every other explanation, we all know that it was God that touched us. I am a type of...And i might be perpetually grateful to Him. Prayer is almost always a ritual or a dependancy...Even for me...But I also to find occasions just about daily once I supply Him a heartfelt thanks for some thing that has happened. I've by no means been disappointed within the eventual end result when i have followed Him. It may not always occur the best way I concept it will have to....But ultimately, I come out a ways at an advantage than I potentially could have on my possess. One specified Bible verse summarizes how I see matters. It's Romans 8:28. "And we all know that in all things, God works for the good of people who love him, who have been called in line with his rationale."

i think of it is each each now and then achieveable. whether, placeboes will by no potential final previous a definite element. If what you hear isn't God, then the message will fade and so will the outcomes. For those human beings who've had miracles completed of their lives that may not be able to be defined away by potential of the different explanation, all of us comprehend that it grew to become into God that touched us. i'm one among those...and that i would be continually grateful to Him. Prayer is many times a ritual or a habit...even for me...yet I additionally locate situations almost daily as quickly as I supply Him a heartfelt thank you for something that has befell. I even have by no potential been disappointed interior the eventual effect as quickly as I even have accompanied Him. it could not continually ensue the way i assumed it is going to....yet interior the tip, I pop out plenty greater constructive off than I probably might have on my very own. One particular Bible verse summarizes how I see issues. this is Romans 8:28. "And all of us comprehend that for the period of all issues, God works for the stable of people who love him, who've been referred to as in accordance to his purpose."

Sure it could. On the other hand, if you pray to recover from cancer, and you recover from cancer, who cares whether it was a placebo? Bottom line was that praying worked for you.

So, let me ask you a question: Does it bother you that people believe in the power of prayer?

Or could it be that when they don't receive it, they also consider it to be answered, and the answer is no?

In other words, some will always succeed, some will fail. By chalking only the successes up to the deity in question, you can get what appears to be a 100% success rate.

I feel that is correct. I also feel that is how God set up prayer to work. We pray with utter and complete faith, and our bodies have the power to help themselves. Amputees limbs don't grow back because this has never happened before (although I've read and seen somre pretty convincing healing), and their prayers have a doubt attatched to them. Please, amputees' limbs not growing back, that's all I ever hear about on here.

I don't believe it is. I have seen prayer answered too many times to believe in any placebo effect. (Examples: tumors that turned out to be benign, lives that were saved, etc.)

The power of belief is strong and a spiritual force in this universe, it can be called the pacebo effect. All that is, is another name for it.

There was actually just a study done on the impact of faith/positive thinking on illness, and it was found to be no more beneficial than being faithless.

Absolutely. This applies to everything - not just prayers. While this does not disprove anything supernatural, studies show that prayers have no affect on reality.