Does praying make sense?
For the faithful this issue is of critical importance. If praying is shown to be ineffective, then "what's the point?"
In chapter 37, chapter 38 and chapter 39 this question is exhaustively explored.
Using the "step-by-step" approach it is argued that God (Jesus) is in principle able to "hear" prayers. First telepathy between people is shown to be a real phenomenon. Next, on the basis of laboratory experiments with mediums, the ability of dead persons (a mother, say) to listen in on conversation is documented. If your dead mother can hear your words, then surely Jesus or God can do likewise.
But is a dead person ("entity") able to carry out a request asked by the living? This is as close as one can get to an analogy of God answering prayer. A well-documented (hilarious) case, which caused a sensation in the press at the time, as it involved the instant teleportation of the wife of a prominent millionaire, is presented as an (affirmative) illustration.
Three cases, illustrating the instant miraculous "answering" of prayer are given as evidence that praying may have its own reward. This is proof of principle. Whether your perfunctory prayers will be heard and answered is another matter.
In chapter 39 the scientific studies purporting to show the ineffectiveness of prayer are discussed. Statistical studies involving intercessory praying for very ill patients have yielded negative or weak results, ostensibly negating the effectiveness of prayer. But these studies are of little value as the patient is unknown to those assigned to pray for him. These studies deal with "impersonal" prayer rather than intercessory prayer. The sense of community is not there. The method is far too crude. It is like proving that bacteria don't exist because none is observed by holding a magnifier.
The final conclusion is that prayer can be effective (proof of principle) but that most prayers offer little more than psychological value.
What rises up to heaven are not the words from the mouth, but the yearnings from the burning heart. For a full discussion the reader is invited to read chapters 37, 38 and 39 of the BOOK.
