"Mend broken relationships, and restore those in emotional distress to soundness of mind and serenity of spirit; Hear us, O Lord of life."
-From last Sunday's Episcopal offertory hymn
I'm reminded of the character Hilary Fay in the movie Saved saying, "Prayer works it's been medically proven!" It may have been a joke in the movie but Hilary was right, prayer has been shown to heal and even though the official scientific verdict is still out compelling evidence is mounting.
"It's one of the most prevalent forms of healing. Open-minded scientists have a responsibility to look into this," said Marilyn J. Schlitz of the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco.
Sincerely praying or offering blessings according to your tradition can be a powerful healing tool.
I don't leave off at praying only for major accidents or illness. As the offertory hymn says, I pray for soundness of mind and serenity of spirit - which are the best tools in the dialogue with illness.
I pray for friends and family to overcome unhealthy addictions or diet practices, for help dropping bad or stress-causing habits, and the best prayer I've ever found - the prayer to just be joyful.
What are you healing today and how is prayer helping?
