Does prayer provide strength to accept life’s end gracefully? Many studies show that for people facing serious illnesses or the end of life, prayer often brings comfort, peace, and a sense of resilience that helps them cope better. Patients with cancer, for example, have shared that prayers from their faith communities give them the greatest comfort, making them feel calm and closer to God even during tough treatments.https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/palliative-and-supportive-care/article/spirituality-issues-in-cancer-patients-at-ocean-road-cancer-institute-dar-es-salaam-tanzania/5A34363E71B61D3EFC16C6DCD5C9ABCC This kind of spiritual support boosts their ability to keep going, much like what researchers found in studies from Tanzania, Poland, and Lebanon, where faith helped with physical, mental, and emotional strength.https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/palliative-and-supportive-care/article/spirituality-issues-in-cancer-patients-at-ocean-road-cancer-institute-dar-es-salaam-tanzania/5A34363E71B61D3EFC16C6DCD5C9ABCC
In palliative care, which focuses on easing suffering for those with life-limiting conditions, prayer stands out as a key coping tool. Caregivers and patients in places like Ghana turn to faith and prayer to handle the emotional weight of terminal illness. It helps them find meaning amid questions like “Why me?” or “What happens after death?”https://www.thesocialworkgraduate.com/post/palliative-care-social-work Healthcare workers are encouraged to ask about spiritual beliefs, such as whether faith helps with stress or gives life purpose, because addressing these needs improves overall well-being.https://www.thesocialworkgraduate.com/post/palliative-care-social-work Doctors and nurses in surveys from the US, Turkey, and New Zealand also see prayer as part of spiritual care that supports patients at the end of life.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12699817/
Religious people often experience a mix of emotions, like joy and awe alongside worry, which can actually build emotional strength. This “mixed emotions” effect, linked to a sense of a higher power that is both loving and just, helps believers reframe hardships and find silver linings, even in crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.https://www.psypost.org/religious-people-experience-more-mixed-emotions-than-non-believers/ For those nearing life’s end, this emotional complexity through prayer fosters acceptance, turning fear into peaceful perseverance.
Sources
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/palliative-and-supportive-care/article/spirituality-issues-in-cancer-patients-at-ocean-road-cancer-institute-dar-es-salaam-tanzania/5A34363E71B61D3EFC16C6DCD5C9ABCC
https://www.thesocialworkgraduate.com/post/palliative-care-social-work
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12699817/
https://www.psypost.org/religious-people-experience-more-mixed-emotions-than-non-believers/
