Prayer is the Placebo effect?

There have actually been placebo-controlled scientific studies done showing that prayer does not actually work. If prayer actually helps somebody, it's just placebo.

I think this is sometimes possible. However, placeboes will never last beyond a certain point. If what you hear is not God, then the message will fade and so will the results.

For those of us who have had miracles performed in their lives that can not be explained away by any other explanation, we know that it was God that touched us. I am one of those...and I will be forever grateful to Him.

Prayer is often a ritual or a habit...even for me...but I also find times nearly every day when I give Him a heartfelt thanks for something that has happened. I have never been disappointed in the eventual outcome when I have followed Him. It may not always happen the way I thought it should....but in the end, I come out far better off than I possibly could have on my own. One particular Bible verse summarizes how I see things. It is Romans 8:28. "And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

The answer to your question is No, prayer is not a placebo effect. But prayer without FAITH is useless. Many times when Jesus did a miracle, and met a need, He said "great is thy FAITH" or "because of your FAITH be it unto you." Faith is a MUST when you are in relationship with the Almighty.

Also, you can't always expect God to just "meet a need" if you are not in relationship with Him--daily prayer, and reading of the Word, fasting, etc. But if you are in relationship with Him, and have faith, He will take care of EVERY need. If you hunger after God badly enough, and long for Him over anything else, He WILL reveal things to you through the power of His Holy Spirit.

No, it is not placebo effect. Maybe in some cases, maybe some are coincidences, but not all. By praying, one is putting their energy into something. They are putting their intention into a possible event. Their energy and intention help to create that event and make it happen.. Like how rituals work.

absolutely it is! Prayer can give you more confidence therefore improving your Performance in exams etc but it is entirely placebo!

Yeah it's placebo.

Linda J, just because your sister lived on does not prove the existence of a god. Ever hear of coincidence?

God never speaks to anyone.you think we hear him talking to us???...that's considered crazy/bi-polar...i agree with the other girl...everything is in the bible and we pray and eventually whatever happens happened for a reason...i repeat Gos doesn't talk to us.no one on this earth has ever heard his voice before

i wouldn't even give it that much credit. the results of prayer are simply chance.

Try telling that to my sister who has a completely new heart!

She was born with her arteries working backwards, the doctors had to remove on of the walls in her heart so that the blood could get at least a little bit of oxygen. She wasn't supposed to live past five years old.

She is now 29, has two kids of her own, and her heart has FOUR walls, and the arteries work perfectly normal!!!

God does not talk to us in a booming voice now, he has said everything we need to know in his word the Holy Bible.