Medical Benefits of Hope and Prayer

Numerous, recent medical research studies have revealed the close correlation between health, hope and prayer. In fact, according to a study published in the International Journal of Psychiatry Medicine, studies by Weaver, Flannelly, and Oppenheimer, there has been a steep rise in published articles relating to health, religion and spirituality between 1965 and 2000 in medical journals. It is not surprising that these ground-breaking mind-body connection studies that focused on hope and prayer reveal that people who are hopeful about their health and pray regularly, heal faster and get fewer infections. They also spend fewer days in the hospital and have overall better health than those with negative attitudes that do not pray. They also miss less days from work due to illness, and anticipate and achieve better health outcomes than their less optimistic counterparts.


According to one medical research study, the largest study of its kind to date, conducted by the Complementary and Alternative Medicine group (CAM) at the National Institutes of Health, forty-five percent of respondents had used prayer for health reasons. Forty-three percent had prayed for their own health, and almost twenty-five percent had others praying for them. In this study, prayer was deemed “the [alternative] therapy most commonly used among all the CAM therapies included in the survey, among meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Reiki.” This is likely, in part, because the individuals praying or those that have others praying for them are depending on a higher power to heal them. Though they have some things in common, meditation differs from prayer as it is simply an emptying of the mind. Prayer, on the other hand, is the process of connecting with one’s higher power and asking for help via confident prayer.


Specifically, further studies by Townsend, Kladder, Ayele and Mulligan, and Bussing, et al have found that anxiety and depression are quelled by a positive attitude , especially when combined with quiet time in prayer. Cardiovascular health indicators such as heart rate and blood pressure improve with optimism and prayer, and the pain associated with cancer and arthritis is lessened or diminished through optimism, especially when combined with prayer. With prayer and optimism, the gastric systems of optimistic patients also secrete less acid due to decreased stress, producing less ulcers. The immune system is similarly boosted by the combination of optimism and prayer. Even stress-related skin conditions such as psoriasis and acne are improved through positive thinking; and the effects are significant.


It has also been noted through medical studies that the mind-body connection benefits greatly from these two simple factors, of optimism and prayer, to create a systemic decrease in cortisol, a hormone commonly associated with stress. Another great benefit of optimism and prayer is the secretion of natural endorphins into the body. Though produced by the human body, these feel-good body chemicals are biologically akin to heroin, and provide a similar feeling of well-being. Endorphins also promote healing.


In order to be able to obtain optimal health with any condition, it is important to be hopeful so that medical treatment can work effectively. A patients’ optimism can be a good indicator of health outcomes. That is, the more positive the patient’s attitude is, the better the prognosis. It is also important to practice some sort of faith, as those who did so were found to take better care of their personal health, likely in keeping with religious beliefs. Medical research studies reveal that people who actively practice a religion engage in less high-risk behavior and had less health complications as a result.
The implications of these studies are impressive and far-reaching. As an RN, I think it is safe to say that optimism and prayer should be considered as part and parcel of reaching one’s optimal health in body, mind and spirit.