ABSTRACT
Prayer is an important activity in the daily life of a majority of Americans. It is an activity that people expect chaplains to engage in. And so it is not surprising that in the pastoral care literature there is a steady stream of articles on the subject. What is surprising is the recent upsurge in interest in prayer and meditation and how these activities can affect health and well-being. Further, they are now subjects which can be the occasion of serious research, reported in peer-reviewed journals. But that is not all, a small, but growing number of doctors and nurses are discussing how they should pray with their patients.
