PRAYER AND HEALTH - CONCEPTUAL ISSUES, RESEARCH REVIEW, AND RESEARCH AGENDA

The theoretical and empirical literature on the relationship between prayer and health is critically reviewed. Although empirical research partially confirms that prayer promotes a variety of health outcomes, the empirical literature is characterized by weak methodologies that may contribute to the inconsistency of some findings. Recommendations are made for improving the quality of prayer and health research. An agenda for further empirical investigation of the relationship between prayer and health is proposed.