The Only Real Power of Prayer.

Everytime there is a tragedy, or someone is going through a loss, people often say they are praying for those involved. 

If we are to believe in the so called "power of prayer", Somehow, by clasping their hands and casting their eyes skyward, or speaking aloud to the air in front of them- another person's suffering will somehow be alleviated by God. However- in truth, prayer only helps one person.

The person doing the praying.

The reason for this, is that by indulging in such activities, or typing as much in a Facebook comment, it makes the praying person feel like they have actually done something- when in fact they've not done anything at all. It requires absolutely zero effort. At most, they have talked to themselves- and that's supposed to make people feel better? There is no evidence to suggest that prayer helps the sick either- see the results of "The Great Prayer Experiment", Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP) 2006. The study actually seemed to demonstrate people who knew they were being prayed for, actually deteriorated in health. People who didn't know they were being prayed for (some were the targets of prayer and some were not) displayed no difference in results between them.

Apart from anything else, if God does exist, then it's been made quite apparent that he doesn't give a fiddlers fuck about what human beings pray for. If that was the case, any benevolent all-powerful overseer would surely ease the suffering of- for talking's sake- babies in Africa who are born with AIDS; which will surely kill them, if starvation and contaminated water doesn't first. But hey, maybe he is too busy helping well-off British and American Christians find their car keys or pass assessments; perhaps their prayers are worth extra. Or maybe it's all part of "Gods plan" that so many of the pious frequently carp about. Some plan. I want no part of it.

I haven't seen many faith healers going in  to clean up the Ebola outbreak either as an alternative to modern medical care. What does that tell you?

By all means pay your respects and condolences to the bereaved and the hurt, but invoking God in times of tragedy is at best hollow and at worst completely insensitive. If you want to do something to help someone; actually DO it.