Prayer: A powerful resource now and anytime

During the current pandemic, many people around the world have turned to prayer. Research by Jeanet Bentzen, an economist at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, found that internet searches on prayer skyrocketed during the period of time when COVID-19 began to rapidly proliferate around the globe. 

After analyzing data from Google searches across 95 countries, she found, “In March 2020, the share of Google searches for prayer surged to the highest level ever recorded, surpassing all other major events that otherwise call for prayer, such as Christmas, Easter, and Ramadan” (“In crisis, we pray: Religiosity and the COVID-19 pandemic,” CEPR Press, May 20, 2020).

People are praying for the general population of their own and other countries; for key workers, such as nurses, custodial staff, and grocery store clerks; for public health officials; and even for national recovery plans. But what is the best way to pray? Over several decades, I’ve found Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures to be a wonderful resource, filled with practical ideas about how to pray—and how to pray specifically regarding disease.