I wonder why man is always trying to validate God’s power and Word.

An extraordinary study was revealed by news reports last week about the power of prayer to heal. Researchers followed more than 1,800 heart-surgery patients during a six-year period and said that they found out that the power of prayer from strangers didn’t improve their recovery. These reports also stated that the study is raising perplexing questions for scientists and for the faithful.

However, I, along with many others mentioned in this column, am not questioning the power of prayer to heal, or to bring positive solutions to any situation.

For example, the same news reports revealed that some researchers believe that prayer can reduce stress levels and lower blood pressure — two of the leading causes of heart disease. I say if these causes can be reduced, then the effects of heart disease and heart problems may never have to occur. This is proof that there is power in prayer.

The study went on to reveal that 83 percent of people said that they prayed for the health of others, including people they had never met. The same research is now saying that prayer might not be effective with this group of people. This was said to be the largest, most rigorous study ever done on the ability of prayer to help strangers.

I assume that scientists doing this study do not have a close relationship with God; because if they have lived long enough, they would have witnessed some sort of miracle of His power to heal. Perhaps God’s will was not to be tempted by scientists or researchers to prove His power to heal. This study reminds me of Satan’s attempt, in Mark 16: 14-18, to make Jesus prove that He was the Son of God.

My theory is that those doing the praying in the study did not know the minds, beliefs, living habits or faith of those for which they were praying.

News reports said some people revealed that the study proved nothing, that it was scientifically flawed, that the power of prayer cannot be qualified in a research paper and that the study said nothing about praying for yourself.

Can scientists explain how a person survives an illness after the doctor has given up?

Better yet, let’s look at known miracles that occurred last Thursday.

After 82 days of imprisonment in Iraq, Jill Carroll was set free. Her family members did not know what triggered the release.

ABC News reporter Bob Woodruff, having been injured in Iraq, finally went home after weeks of treatment in a hospital. In the beginning, it was a touch-and-go situation, but now he is expected to make a full recovery.

Sago mine survivor Randal McCloy Jr,. returned to his home in Simpson, W. Va., months earlier than expected. He is considered a medical miracle because he survived being exposed to carbon monoxide for a long period of time and was released from therapy in six months, which was half the time doctors had expected. McCloy thanks God for his survival and both he and his wife thanked everybody, even strangers, for their thoughts and prayers.

God is no respecter of persons and can do what He wants, when He wants to, where He wants to, because He’s sovereign.

God had the power to perform the miracles mentioned above, and He can still heal heart-surgery patients.

In my opinion, if senseless studies rob you of faith in the power of God to change any situation in life, or the power to heal, they can rob you of your blessings.

Wall is a former News-Herald reporter and regular contributor to the Town Square page.