The Healing Power of Prayer

Chester L. Tolson & Harold G. Koenig / (Baker Books, August 2003)

Description:
This is a book about prayer and the connections it has with mental and physical health. This book is not about transcendental or mindfulness meditation. It is not about New Age spiritual practices. It is not about influencing others through extra-sensory perception. No. It is about talking to God, listening to God, and building a relationship with your greatest friend in this world and the next. In this book, we show you why you need to pray, how to go about praying, and what experiences you will have as a result. If you want to start praying, improve your prayer life, and get closer to God, then read this book.

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR (HK): The book's jacket provides some misleading information. This information was not approved by me prior to publication. Statements such as "Even medical studies claim that faith and prayer positively improve your well-being and the body's ability to heal itself" and "Recent medical and psychological studies show that prayer can relieve your stress, improve your outlook, and mend your body" are too strong. Studies showing that prayer can cause changes in physical health are not definitive. Yes, it may be that prayer can cause changes in your body that directly affect your physical health -- however, this is not a proven scientific fact as the cover suggests -- at least not yet. Thus, I stand behind what is written in the book itself, but the material on the cover has stretched the truth a bit and readers need to know this.

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