I am fully convinced of the necessity of prayer (after all, everyone prays), and of the benefit I receive from praying. My prayers change me, internally, in my soul. St. Thomas Aquinas calls it spiritual refreshment of the mind, and I can truly feel it.
But does it do anything else? Does it actually benefit or help those I pray for? If so, why?
Note: I do not ask how; if God wants to grant my prayers, it is certainly within His power.
But why? Do I have some special “pull” with God? If I ask Him to heal my sick brother*, will He do it because I asked? Why not heal all who are sick? Does He then withhold healing from those who have no brother to pray for them? That doesn’t sound like Him.
Aquinas vigorously defends the efficacy of prayer, citing ”impetration”.
“The effect of prayer is threefold. The first is an effect which is common to all acts quickened by charity, and this is merit. The second effect of prayer is proper thereto, and consists in impetration...the original intention, to which God looks chiefly, suffices to attain this effect…The third effect of prayer is that which it produces at once; this is the spiritual refreshment of the mind.” St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica II-II Q. 83 Art. 13)
Impetration being an unfamiliar term, I had to look it up. The online Catholic Dictionary (1910) says:
(Latin: impetrare, to ask and obtain a request)
(1) The begging of favors.
(2) Theologically, one of the fruits of good works and especially of the Mass and prayer; one of the four ends of the Mass, which regards man. Impetration accompanied by right dispositions and certain conditions will infallibly gain us every gift and avert every evil.
This seems to state that my prayers for my brother’s healing will be granted if I pray with the right dispositions and conditions. So it depends on me. But what if I fail to pray for my brother? Shall he suffer for my sin? What of those with no one to pray for them? Suffering for the sins of others is the role of Christ; for the rest of us, Jeremiah’s “sour grapes” injunction (31:29) holds: “Everyone will die for his own sins.”
I know that the Gospels repeatedly and forcefully tell us that God will grant our prayers, if we pray in Jesus’ name.
So my questions all have the same answer. Yes, prayer (properly prayed) is effective, because Jesus said so. It is revealed.
Revelation is given to us for those things we cannot ascertain by reason alone. But revelation should not violate reason; it is to go beyond reason, not to contradict reason. That is the thrust of Fides Et Ratio, as well as Benedict XVI’s Regensburg Lecture. On the most basic level of non-self-contradiction, Christianity MUST MAKE SENSE.
I’d really appreciate it If someone can help me make sense of this.
In the meantime, I’ll just keep on praying.
“Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)
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UPDATE: My brother Dick died recently. He had suffered through many years and several incurable diseases. And in his last months he was often hospitalized to stabilize his various conditions and medications. The last month was spent in an ICU bed, every day hoping and praying to get him released to rehab and home. Much of that time he was delirious, and violently so. When he was responsive, he was overwhelmed by both exhaustion and impatience to be released. His ever-loving wife was by his side throughout, scarcely sleeping for over a month.
A grim story. Prayers seemed to be unanswered. But then one day, he snapped out of it! Still exhausted (and impatient), he had little memory of his delirium and suffering. We had great visits, and high hopes that he might be released soon. His friends stopped by for visits.
And then he died. Suddenly, without any warning, his heart gave out. He was mourned by a large group of men he had helped for years through Alcoholics Anonymous.
Were my prayers answered? Only when I stopped praying for specific medical miracles, and simply prayed “Lord, help my brother.” And finally, “Lord, bring him back to us.” And that He did.
O Ben Finiti 