so God would not answer a prayer if he knows people are expecting it? or because one guy was collecting info and seing what would happen?
the study took years, ma kenet men afa idoun ma3moulé, the people praying in the monastaries were not bribed to pray and may even not be in on it, and the patients certainly were not aware of what is going on
they do not walk up to people and say "we're conducting a study and we will not pray for you and see if you will die
"
the study was an observation on whether or not praying to people help, the doctor himself was not praying for the sake of the study
the study took time and money, I think whoever spent 2 million dollars and went through the trouble of monitering and collecting and studying data of 1800 people, took measures that even you would nto think about
edit: basicly what you said was my original point: prayers do not change anything