Description :

If you are not so sure if God answers prayers, this book will tell you what researchers say about: Faith and Prayer .

This is not a book on religion, but a book about religious beliefs and prayer perceived from the viewpoint of science.  More then three hundred scientific studies have shown that religious involvement benefits our health and well being.

Prayer is good medicine . . . prayer is the language of the soul, expressed in the purity of the heart.  Prayer connects man and God. The world is full of stories about the power of prayers and how prayers had brought healing to the body and soul.  True prayer never goes unanswered.  God answers our prayer in His own way and at His own time.

Fortunately, prayer  is the only great commodity left on planet earth that has eluded the world of commercialism and that has been left uncontaminated by human greed.

When the sick come to CA Care for help, we encourage them to pray and seek the Almighty Healer for peace and guidance.  Prayer helps clear the mind and gives you peace.

Like the words written  by Mother Teresa: You say prayer in your religion ,and I will say a prayer as I know it. Together we will say this prayer, and it will be something beautiful to God.

CONTENTS

Preface: Statement of My Belief

Chapter 1 Introduction: Searching for Truth and My Walk in Faith

Chapter 2 Searching for Scientific Proof

Chapter 3 Searching for Healing in Prayer

Chapter 4 Searching for Explanation

Chapter 5 Mind Over Body: Placebo, Nocebo and Tomato Effects

EXERPTS FROM THE BOOK 

Statement of My Belief

In writing this book, I have tried to be as objective as possible, bearing in mind that religion and prayer are universal phenomenon shared and practiced by nations since the beginning of time.

My childhood upbringing has also taught me to be accommodating and respectful of other religions . . .  the living God, who made the heaven and earth, the sea, and all the things that are in them . . . in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways . . . He has shown kindness by giving you the rain from heaven and crops in their seasons, He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy (Acts 14:15-17).  In this respect, I am indeed glad to learn that I am not alone in holding on to these accommodating views about Christianity.  The Vatican Council II of the Roman Catholic Church has adopted this stance: The Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in other religions, and Catholics should recognize, preserve, and promote the spiritual and moral values of other religions.

I call God, God, Heavenly Father. . . . When you read this book, take comfort and be at liberty to substitute the word God found in the pages with any of the favourite names that you may wish to choose.  Let it be: Allah, Krishna, Brahman, Goddess, the Tao, the Absolute, the One, the Ultimate, the Alpha and Omega, etc.

Chapter 2: Searching for Scientific Proof

A scientist taking the path of faith does not necessarily have to turn his back on science and discard whatever he has learnt.  Far from it.  Having faith implies here that there is an awakened consciousness and a sense of tolerance.  To re-orientate oneself from the idea that the human body is just a mere machine, to one in which the human is a spiritual being with a mind and soul may be most challenging to one’s own ego and established professional norms.

In his book, Timeless Healing, Dr. Herbert Benson, a professor at Harvard Medical School, USA, wrote: When I was a student at Harvard Medical School,   I was taught that the greater part of what I was learning . . . would be obsolete in five years.  Dr. Benson went on to say that a human being, somehow or other, is instinctively wired to God.  I believe that invoking beliefs is not only emotionally and spiritually soothing but virtually important to physical health.

After having read and reread Benson’s book, I felt compelled to go further and read more works by others.  This lead me to The Faith Factor, a book written by Dr. Dale Matthews.  This is what the author said: In the two decades of practicing medicine, . . . I have witness recoveries, even healing, that cannot be fully explained by science.  Religious involvement appears to promote health and well-being virtually from cradle to grave.  Whatever life challenges we face, research shows that we will be able to face them better if we have authentic religious belief and practice as cornerstones of our lives.

Hundreds of researchers have produced groundbreaking finds, which showed that religious and spiritual people, and those doing good deeds for others reap the following benefits:

• The enjoyed a happier marriage and family life.
  • They had a greater sense of meaning and purpose of life.
    • The stayed healthy.
      • The lived longer.
        • The had lower diastolic blood pressure.
          • The coped well with stress.
            • They suffered less from life-threatening and chronic illnesses such as cancer.
              • They recovered faster and had fewer complications if they developed serious illness.
                • They were less likely to suffer depression from stressful life events.
                  • They had a stronger immune system.

                   

                  Chapter 5: Mind over Body

                   

                  Belief is a potent medicine.  It can play a key role in generating positive or negative responses in our bodies.  There must be confidence of a positive outcome based on strong belief.

                   

                  Without belief, a cure is not likely to result.  Numerous studies have reported on the power of belief and mind over body.  A study was done at Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, USA with asthmatic patients.   Patients were asked to inhale a substance and were told that it would make their asthma worse.  Indeed, when the patients inhaled the substance, many suffered breathing difficulty and had wheezing.  In reality, the substance given was only harmless saline water.  The patients were subsequently asked to inhale another substance, which would restore their health.  After inhaling this substance, the wheezing and breathing difficulty stopped.  In actual fact, this second substance was also the same saline solution.

                   

                  Prayer of 1995

                   

                  The cock crows at the break of dawn

                  Reminding me of the new born resolve

                  With the knowledge You’ve bestowed upon me

                  Show me Lord, Your way.

                   

                  About the Author

                   

                  Dr. Chris K. H. Teo, Dip.Agric(M), B.Sc. Agric(Hons)(M), M.S., Ph.D.(Hawaii), Dip.I. Hom., was formerly a professor of Botany. He taught and researched at Universiti Sains Malaysia for twenty six years. He has written about two dozen books and numerous research papers in national and international journals. He was a fellow of the Matsumae International Foundation (1984), a research fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (1977) and a fellow of the German Academic Exchange Services (1975). He was a member of the panel of experts appointed by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment, to review research projects under IRPA programmes. He was an assessor for professorial appointments in some local universities and a referee for research journals in Malaysia. In 1994, he was appointed a consultant to the United Nations Development Programme (UNPD-OPS) and the government of Bhutan. Chris and his wife, Beng Im founded CA Care in 1995.