Persons of all major religious groups use prayer as a spiritual discipline when dealing with sickness, and a majority of Christians report faith in healing prayer. The purpose of this research was to explore the use of prayer as complementary therapy for healing by Christian adults in the Bible Belt of the United States. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used in this qualitative study. This project was a secondary analysis of a larger study whose aim was to document stories of miraculous healings (n = 14). Open-ended questions focusing on participants’ use of prayer followed the initial telling of their stories. All participants used prayer as complementary to their traditional medical treatments, and emerging themes included prayers of the people, rituals and traditions associated with prayer, prayers of supplication, and experiences related to the act of praying. These findings support prior published studies regarding the prevalence of prayer and its use as complementary therapy. Participants commonly used prayer in times of illness and the effects of prayer included a sense of wellbeing, increased calmness, decreased anxiety, and positive healing experiences. Participants utilized self-prayer and prayer support from family, friends, clergy, and healthcare professionals.

The need to include the spiritual dimension when assessing clients and planning their healthcare is evident from numerous studies conducted by various disciplines. Practitioners of holistic care agree that spiritual care must be included to address fully the needs of clients. The aim of this qualitative research was to explore and document the stories of clients regarding the role healthcare professionals provide in spiritual care. A hermeneutical phenomenological approach was used to interview, document, and analyze the stories of 15 participants (n = 15) regarding their perceptions of spiritual care received or given during times of illness. Initially, only one participant mentioned the role of doctors and nurses in providing spiritual care. After specifically asking about spiritual care, half of the participants shared that they had received spiritual care. Prayer as a mode of spiritual care emerged as a prominent theme. Lack of spiritual care received was documented. The hesitancy to provide spiritual care was evident in participants who were also healthcare providers. More research is needed to further define spiritual care. Education regarding spiritual assessments and spiritual care strategies is needed for both patients and healthcare providers.

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