How important is prayer, especially during wartime? Although the war with Iraq has ended, there is still great concern for the safety of America’s troops as well as the Iraqis too, who face continuing violence and the constant threat of terrorist bombing attacks. As a result, many continue to pray for those involved in this conflict — in churches, worship services, and even on the Internet.

Bob Abernethy travels to Northampton, Massachusetts, to talk about the power of prayer with two people who study and practice it: Dr. Carol Zaleski, a professor of religion at Smith College and her husband, Philip Zaleski, a religion writer and editor. According to Mr. Zaleski, “Prayer is communication between the human realm and the transcendent realm, which for most people means trying to communicate with a personal God, coming into contact with a person who cares about them and loves them and can help them out.” And Dr. Zaleski observes, “To know that you are being prayed for is a tremendous bond of connection and hope … Prayer has this wonderful quality of conveying a sense of security.” (Rebroadcast from April 11, 2003)

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week632/feature.html