Praying for wellness is quickly proving to be a legitimate addition to conventional medical treatment. If you're interested in this subject, I recommend you read an excellent book on this topic, Reinventing Medicine: Beyond Mind-Body to a New Era of Healing, by Larry Dossey, M.D. (Harper San Francisco, 1999). In his book, Dr. Dossey describes a growing body of scientific evidence attesting to the power of prayer in healing - and not only the prayers you make for yourself or that friends and relatives may offer when you're ill. It seems the prayers of strangers - people who know only a patient's first name and diagnosis, and live many miles away - can also influence the medical outcome.
...from Dr. Weil website, April 29, 2006.