Medical Effects of Proximal (In-person) Intercessory (PIP) and Virtual Intercessory Prayer (VIP) on Pain and Anxiety

NCT07565142 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: HP-00088654
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 180
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study examines whether proximal (in-person) intercessory prayer (PIP) and virtual intercessory prayer (VIP) can reduce pain and anxiety in adults seeking care at a family medicine clinic. Participants who report moderate or higher levels of pain or anxiety will be randomly assigned to receive either brief Christian prayer (in person or virtually) or a control condition of 5 minutes of relaxing music. Prayer sessions last approximately 5 to 15 minutes and are led by trained prayer practitioners. All participants complete surveys about their pain and anxiety levels before and after the session, and again at 2 to 4 weeks and 6 to 8 weeks. The goal is to determine whether prayer leads to greater improvement in pain and anxiety symptoms compared to the control condition, whether effects differ between in-person and virtual prayer, and how participants perceive the experience.

Conditions

Pain and Anxiety; Complementary Therapies

Keywords

intercessory prayer; complementary and alternative medicine; spiritual healing

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Change in Pain Intensity

  Change in score on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (0-10, with 10 being worst possible pain)

  Baseline and immediately post-intervention, 2-4 weeks, and 6-8 weeks

• Change in Anxiety (Likert Scale)

  Change in self-reported anxiety on a Likert scale

  Baseline and immediately post-intervention

• Change in Anxiety (GAD-7)

  Change in score on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7)

  Baseline, 2-4 weeks, and 6-8 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Participant Perception of Prayer Experience

  Immediately post-intervention

Study Arms (4)

Proximal (In-Person) Intercessory Prayer (PIP)

EXPERIMENTAL

5-15 minutes of in person PIP from a volunteer prayer practitioner following the 5-step prayer model

Behavioral: Intercessory Prayer

In-Person Music Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

5 minutes of soothing instrumental music in a private room

Behavioral: Music Listening

Virtual Intercessory Prayer (VIP)

EXPERIMENTAL

5-15 minutes of VIP over zoom from a volunteer prayer practitioner following the 5-step prayer model

Behavioral: Intercessory Prayer

Virtual Music Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

5 minutes of soothing instrumental music in a private zoom room

Behavioral: Music Listening

Interventions

Intercessory Prayer BEHAVIORAL

Brief Christian prayer (5-15 minutes) led by trained volunteer prayer practitioners following a standardized 5-step prayer model. Delivered in person (Arm 1) or via Zoom Healthcare (Arm 3).

Proximal (In-Person) Intercessory Prayer (PIP); Virtual Intercessory Prayer (VIP)

Music Listening BEHAVIORAL

5 minutes of soothing instrumental music.

In-Person Music Control; Virtual Music Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Patient at a University of Maryland Department of Family and Community Medicine clinic
• Score of 4 or more on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (0-10) and/or score of 10 or more on the GAD-7

You may not qualify if:

• currently pregnant
• Change in pain or anxiety medication within 24 hours of potential enrollment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Maryland, Baltimore: lead
• Global Medical Research Institute: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Maryland Department of Family and Community Medicine

Baltimore, Maryland, 21201, United States

Location

Related Publications (8)

• Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006 May 22;166(10):1092-7. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.

  PMID: 16717171 BACKGROUND

• Romez C, Freedman K, Zaritzky D, Brown JW. Case report of instantaneous resolution of juvenile macular degeneration blindness after proximal intercessory prayer. Explore (NY). 2021 Jan-Feb;17(1):79-83. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2020.02.011. Epub 2020 Feb 28.

  PMID: 32234287 BACKGROUND

• Romez C, Zaritzky D, Brown JW. Case Report of gastroparesis healing: 16 years of a chronic syndrome resolved after proximal intercessory prayer. Complement Ther Med. 2019 Apr;43:289-294. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2019.03.004. Epub 2019 Mar 9.

  PMID: 30935546 BACKGROUND

• Matthews DA, Marlowe SM, MacNutt FS. Effects of intercessory prayer on patients with rheumatoid arthritis. South Med J. 2000 Dec;93(12):1177-86.

  PMID: 11142453 BACKGROUND

• Harris WS, Gowda M, Kolb JW, Strychacz CP, Vacek JL, Jones PG, Forker A, O'Keefe JH, McCallister BD. A randomized, controlled trial of the effects of remote, intercessory prayer on outcomes in patients admitted to the coronary care unit. Arch Intern Med. 1999 Oct 25;159(19):2273-8. doi: 10.1001/archinte.159.19.2273.

  PMID: 10547166 BACKGROUND

• Byrd RC. Positive therapeutic effects of intercessory prayer in a coronary care unit population. South Med J. 1988 Jul;81(7):826-9. doi: 10.1097/00007611-198807000-00005.

  PMID: 3393937 BACKGROUND

• Brown CG, Mory SC, Williams R, McClymond MJ. Study of the therapeutic effects of proximal intercessory prayer (STEPP) on auditory and visual impairments in rural Mozambique. South Med J. 2010 Sep;103(9):864-9. doi: 10.1097/SMJ.0b013e3181e73fea.

  PMID: 20686441 BACKGROUND

• Boelens PA, Reeves RR, Replogle WH, Koenig HG. A randomized trial of the effect of prayer on depression and anxiety. Int J Psychiatry Med. 2009;39(4):377-92. doi: 10.2190/PM.39.4.c.

  PMID: 20391859 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Pain; Anxiety Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Mental Disorders

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 27, 2026
• First Posted: May 4, 2026
• Study Start: May 20, 2024
• Primary Completion: May 19, 2025
• Study Completion: May 19, 2025
• Last Updated: May 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)