For my creative piece, I have produced a piece of artwork to display the feelings prayer arouses. The person in my drawing is praying to God for help. They are plagued with negative thoughts and feelings; this is represented by the dark nature of the piece. I have tried to display the relaxation one experiences when they pray by the facial expression of the person praying. The white surrounding the person represents the positive healing power of prayer and the powerful positive emotions it induces.

It is however worth noting that there could be some potential negatives associated with using prayer as an alternative therapy regarding healing. As with any alternative therapy, there is an issue that patients may start to believe it is their fault when the therapy is unsuccessful and doesn’t produce positive results as expected. Prayer can sometimes fuel unrealistic hopes, especially due to the number of miracle healing stories displayed in the media. There is also an issue when people place all their faith in prayer and won’t accept orthodox treatments, which may be life saving. Those of Jehovah Witness faith for example may not accept blood transfusions and instead rely solely on the will of God for healing.

Health professionals should acknowledge a patient’s beliefs and appreciate prayer as an advantageous method used by some to improve mental and physical wellbeing. However it is not the duty of a health professional to become involved in patients personal religious beliefs.