Prayer is the force as real as terrestrial gravity. As a physician, I have seen men, after all other therapy had failed, lifted out of disease and melancholy by the serene effort of prayer.
– Alexis Carrel, Nobel Prize Winner in Physiology or Medicine, 1912
Whether you are a believer, atheist or an apatheist, you cannot ignore the immeasurable power of the universe and nature that surrounds us. There are different ways in which we can tune in to this power. Call it the Will of God or the Power of Nature, but aligning all your senses to seek relief from pain and suffering is known to get results.
A patient suffers from cancer when the body’s cell regulatory system stops functioning the way it should. Depending on the area that is affected, the body undergoes a lot of suffering and pain. However, as cancer grows, the biggest thing the patient loses is HOPE. In a study conducted to determine the importance of hope in patients suffering from cancer, it was found that the perception of being cured greatly affected the level of hope in patients.
Spirituality and Medical Science
Spiritual healing has many definitions and practices according to the many spiritual traditions. The Cambridge Dictionary defines spiritual healing as “the activity of making a person healthy without using medicines or other physical methods, sometimes as part of a religious ceremony.” Note the word “sometimes” in this last phrase. Spirituality is not the same as religiosity, although they may intersect and overlap. No authoritative, widely accepted definitions exist, but “according to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, spirituality is a relationship between a person and a power greater than themselves that improves their lives, whereas religion is a specific practice connected to an organized group.”
“Spirituality is a relationship between a person and a power greater than themselves that improves their lives, whereas religion is a specific practice connected to an organized group.”
-National Comprehensive Cancer Network
Prayer and Intercessory Prayer
In simple words, a prayer is a way to communicate with God or with Nature. It is not about countless hours of chanting or visiting religious institutions. For that matter, it is an honest and heartfelt plea to help you fight against pain or suffering in your life.
An intercessory prayer, on the other hand, is a prayer for others. When someone is suffering and is in pain, he/she might not be able to pray. At such times, other people can pray for such a person, pleading with God on behalf of him/her.
The most important aspect of any spiritual approach is faith and hope. For prayers to work, you must believe in the power of prayers and be unwaveringly hopeful of the results. These two attributes along with sincere prayers are capable of miracles that can be seen around the world.
Remember, faith, hope and heartfelt prayers are the best allies in any fight against cancer.
References
- Credit: Beyond Conventional Care Therapies
- ZenOnco.io Integrative Oncology Cancer Care
- Pain and Hope in Patients With Cancer: A Role for Cognition. Mei-Ling Chen, PhD, RN. Cancer Nurs. 2003; 26(1)
- Woman Miraculously Healed of Stage 4 Cancer
- Healed from Stage 4 Terminal Cancer
- A Prayer Approach for Healing Cancer
- Prayer and healing: A medical and scientific perspective on randomized controlled trials. Chittaranjan Andrade, Professor of Psychopharmacology and Rajiv Radhakrishnan, Research Officer.
