ABSTRACT
In 1996 I was invited to a large hospital in New York City. The day began with an address to the house staff in which I discussed the emerging scientific evidence for the effectiveness of intercessory prayer. I reviewed several of the salient experiments that had captured the attention of the medical profession and I summarized some of the studies that were currently in progress. Later in the day I met with the staff of the hospice department in a follow-up meeting. Before our discussion could begin, I was approached by a clergy person who was obviously quite disturbed. He worked full-time in the hospice area and devoted his life to offering spiritual guidance and prayer for dying patients and to providing psychological and spiritual support for the hospice staff. He said, "Look, I need to get something straight. I heard your lecture this morning–and if I understand you correctly, you're claiming that intercessory prayer actually works!"
