Have you ever searched the internet to see what information is available about you? If you have, you would be among the fifty-seven percent of American internet users who say they have looked themselves up on the internet. An even larger number of people say they look for information about health on the internet. The Pew Research Center has found that eighty percent of American internet users have searched for health information. That’s 113 million adults!

Another trend is worth noticing, too. About half of Americans say they pray about their health. This number has been steadily rising over the past decade. In 1999 less than fifteen percent of adults reported that they prayed about their health.

I’ve seen for myself the positive effects of prayer on health. In my twenties I started a regular practice of praying about my health. I applied for a job that required a physical exam before I could start work. During the exam, the doctor found a growth on my back his preliminary diagnosis was that it was cancerous. He refused to pass me on the physical exam until I was examined by an oncologist and a course of treatment was determined. I left his office scared and worried. As I sat in my car for a few moments to gather myself so I could drive, I began to think about what I had been learning about God and my relationship with Him through my daily practice of prayer. By the time I arrived home I was no longer afraid of the doctor’s diagnosis. I felt very sure that God’s love, protection and guidance were active at that very moment and that I could depend on God not only for comfort, but expect healing as well.

I called an oncologist and made an appointment. I continued to pray. Every time my thought would drift to the preliminary diagnosis or the outcomes described by the doctor, I would turn to God, affirming what I had been learning and experiencing through prayer. Within a week, the growth fell off. All that remained was completely smooth skin, not even a mark.

I called the doctor who had performed the original exam, told him what had happened and asked if he would reexamine me. He did and confirmed the healing. He rated my health as excellent. Before I left his office I called to cancel the appointment with the oncologist.

Turning to God in prayer doesn’t mean there will never be problems. But through my regular practice of turning to God through prayer I have found reliable solutions.