Do Our Prayers Really Make A Difference?
I was talking to my uncle the other day. His wife, my aunt is at the moment in the hospital undergoing a stem cell transplant for myeloma. She is just in her 40’s. They have 3 young kids. As is the case with Cancer, the treatment is worse than the disease. Watching her suffer the torturous treatment has really shaken him to the core.
He ended our talk with “Keep your aunty in your prayers.” I replied, “ Yes, surely I will. Don’t worry. Take care.”
As I said those words, I couldn’t help but feel guilty. My words were just empty words. He was living his worst nightmare.
Would my prayers change anything?
First of all, I am not an atheist. God has been a very real presence in my life. At the same time, I study cancer data. I know the stark realities of this insidious disease.
As I go through pathology reports of patients, one thing is clear. Cancer does not discriminate. Patients come from all walks of life, races, ethnicities, and economic standings. Some are infants, some are hitting a century, some are pregnant moms, some are youngsters just beginning their lives and some have my exact date of birth.
Some patients manage to reach remission and stay clear. Some relapse and turn to different treatments. Some tragically reach the end of the line as…
