ON PRAYER (Biographical)

My late wife and I had quite opposite views on prayer.  She believed that if millions of people prayed for the same thing it must have an effect.

I, however, granted that praying might do some psychological good for the person saying the prayer and even might mentally benefit two people if the praying is done out loud.

So I guess I would say that it is possible for a prayer said out loud to many people might have some effect on all, many, or several in the group.  If I was affected by a church service, however, it was from the sermon and not the prayers.  But prayer is not going to create miracles.  No amount of praying will regrow a leg, for example.

I add to grace at meals, "And lead us to Middle East Peace."  I've been doing this for more than a decade, but, then, I am only one person.  I thought for awhile that the Arab Spring might eventually take hold.  I thought that making ourselves energy independent would allow us to withdraw militarily from the Middle East.  But in neither case, does there appear to be anything positive happening, though maybe it is early years.