Some scientists who study prayer believe that people who pray benefit from a feeling of emotional support. Imagine carrying a backpack hour after hour. It will start to feel impossibly heavy. But if you can hand it off to someone else to hold for a while, it will feel lighter when you pick it up again. “This is what prayer can do,” says Amy Wachholtz, Associate Professor and Clinical Health Psychology Director. “It lets you put down your burden mentally for a bit and rest.”

The Science of Prayer
Wall Street Journal, May 17