Free Will?

I believe, and many priests, ministers, rabbis and imams have told me, that we are given free will by God. Ted Scott former Primate of the Anglican church in a conversation with me once said that God made the rules and free will was one of them. God will not interfere in what people do bad or good because that would be breaking his rule of free will. Now all of these religious leaders also say, and there is scientific proof of this as well, that prayer works. And this makes me wonder about what “prayer works” means. Not in the effectiveness of prayer but in the implication the impact God answering prayer has on free will. If God or the Creator answerers prayer then S/He is interfeering and fere will is compromised. I once heard an old Cree medicine man tell a physician that “people are not machines, when the body is hurt by disease the soul is also, by neglecting to heal the soul modern medicine does only part of the job.” The physician eventually came to agree. The argument was about what purpose if any the drumming and chanting had when healig the sick. In an earlier blog i stated that prayer was directed energy. I think also that the soul, which is the imortal part of our being, is energy and linked directly to everything in the universe. Now I also stated that when we pray we direct the healing thoughts and energies to the ones we are praying for. Prayer works in my opinion because we direct some of our health to others who need it. It does not work, in fact I believe cannot work because of the rule of non interference giving us free will, because the Almighty Creator heals. It is fairly well known that the attitude of the sick person is as much a factor in the recuperative process as the medicines they are given. Knowing someone cares enough to light a candle for you or to pray is often a boost we need to feel better within ourselves. I think that the prayers of others, no matter what form they take, help us heal both by giving us much neaded healing energy and by making us feel more of our own self worth. Knowing you are loved is as important as the pill the doctor gave you.