Does Prayer Work?

It Depends on What You Mean by "Work"

⚠️ Caution: Speculation Ahead

Humans are the only living entities that pray. I can vouch that even atheists sometimes think "please help me" to what feels like a giant void. When faced with a problem bigger than ourselves, there's nothing else to do but beg the universe for assistance. It doesn't make sense, but it feels inherent to being human.

It's common for atheists to say they wish they believed in something. Who wouldn't want to think a place like Heaven exists? It would make death so much easier to cope with. But you can't logic yourself into it. It's faith, not fact. At the same time, none of us would claim we're the most powerful entity in the world; thus, a higher power of some sort must exist.

Speaking of facts, I heard a story about a monk sitting next to an atheist, who told him he didn't believe in God. The monk said "tell me about the god you don't believe in; chances are, I don't believe in that god either." The word "God" means different things to different people. God can be a divine Father, a companion like Jesus or Buddha, a Force or Energy that organizes the universe towards life, or a group of divine entities like the Greek pantheon or Hinduism or ancestor worship. Any and all of these are valid spiritual journeys.

I find it interesting that people in my community don't talk much about faith. It feels like one of those things that is a minefield. I'd like to change that. No one should feel like they can't share something important to them, or that they can't ask questions without fear.

Arrogance and Ridicule Exist in both Atheistic and Religious Circles, Sadly:

God Answers Prayers of Paralyzed Little Boy: "No," says God.

The Flying Spaghetti Monster satirizes the idea of belief in a supernatural consciousness that can't be proven to not exist. It is usually used to express contempt for religious believers. It is also (to me), secretly hilarious, not because it pokes fun at Christianity, but because it is based on a logical fallacy. R'amen.

Deliberate mischaracterization of scientific theories to mock those who subscribe to them

Deliberate obfuscation of scientific theories to make religious people feel dumb

God as Energy Speaks to Me

Divine energy is in us and all around us, but it can be hard—sometimes impossible—to connect to. Here are some ways to try:

• Feel your diaphragm expanding with each breath, and the cool air entering your nostrils

• Graze your skin with your fingertips

• Notice the rush of saliva when you think of squeezing some lemon juice into your mouth

• Listen to or imagine an exquisite piece of music

• Think of a spider weaving a web that glistens with dew in the morning sun

  
  

That is the love of the divine force that breathes life into the pile of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen etc., that makes up our bodies. Why "love"? How can Energy love? The word "Love," like the word "God," is my imperfect way to express something that can't be fully understood. It is ineffable. (Inside joke: See? everything comes back to the show Good Omens.) To create new life, we "make love." Love is pleasure, lack of love is pain, and all creatures are "programmed" (see? you can't talk about this stuff without words implying a creator) to seek pleasure and avoid pain. The universe helps us by providing deliciousness and advertising dangers, because it "wants" us to live. (Unfortunately for us, it wants the same for pathogens.)

What Does Praying to God Do?

For me, prayer is inseparable from mindfulness meditation. When you're tuned into your senses—the way the energy in your body interacts with the energy of the Universe—you're literally experiencing the connection between your living body and the force that created it. It's the closest thing we can get to feeling electrons themselves.

Prayer is an affirmation of the power I have to use my own life force. I can't use it to cure another person, but I can use it to love them, and this study illustrates how love actually promotes healing. I can't speak to what prayer is for another person, or how they think it works. I am interested though.

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