When my brothers and I were in grade school, each of us received an award for perfect attendance. As I think about it: 3 boys x 6 years = 18 school years without an absence. This continued in high school.
My brothers and I were typical, active kids. And it wasn't as if we didn't feel bad at times. We just healed up quick. We had a very reliable health-care system that our parents used. It was a purely spiritual system of healing.
These days, prayer rooms and spiritual helpers are popping up almost as fast as banks and fast-food restaurants. People aren't just interested in prayer; they're active pray-ers, because they have faith that prayer really does have an effect. A Newsweek poll taken late last year reveals that 72 percent of Americans "say they believe that praying to God can cure someone—even if science says the person doesn't stand a chance."Caludia Kalb, "Faith & Healing," Newsweek, November 10, 2003, p. 46 . With all the recent attention being given to the benefits of prayer, it might look like spiritual care is a 21st-century discovery. But what seems to be a new kid on the block is actually one of the oldest forms of treatment available.
