It is not something we understand or can measure yet. I believe someday we will. What is important is that prayer should be used, not for selfish or material gains, but for growth and healing. For now, I return to my quote from Lon Ray Call which I used in the newsletter. Prayer doesn't change things.
Prayer changes people and people change things.
Intercessory prayer changes those who pray. The energy of love builds and ripples through the world. A kind of momentum builds through community prayer. A whole community can form a new groove in its collective brain. We will care for those in need, we will teach them to care for themselves in the ways that they can.