If you had tried everything you could think of to help a family member of friend to fight cancer, would you pray even if you didn't know what to or whether anything existed?

Of course not. What would be the point?

I wouldn't pray, but you should if that gives you comfort.

I believe in the power of positive thinking . . .

I don't need to pray to help someone who has cancer. It never works.

My daughter recently told me that she prays for comfort. Being that that precious one has been through so much, if that works for her, so be it.

I would pray that if they must lose their fight, that it would be as painless and stress free as possible.

I would pray for and with them. You can too. But But But if YOU don't have faith. Don't pray. Prayer can be for healing, healing comfort and peace with a terminal illness🙇🙏. I find daily prayer a comfort, healing and a joy. I set side daily prayer time.

If you believe in prayer and have FAITH, but don't know what to say you can say "Lord GOD you know what's needed for  _________please give them what is need and comfort them,  in your son our savior Jesus Christ name, I pray Amen". GOD knows what's needed💖.

my father died of cancer in 1995 i went to doctors with him and chemo and radiation all i wanted for him was no pain

No, I would not pray for this person, nor would I interfere if the person wanted to pray for himself.

In study after study intercession praying has been show to have no effect or a negative effect. I'm sure you could think of a actual thing you could do for this person.

I can't think of many activities as inherently futile as prayer, I'd rather resort to voodoo. If modern medicine has no remedy, how can folding my hands and talking to myself be expected to succeed? 

Futility is a common cause of desperation, a fool addresses desperation with more futility.

Dear Pea Nuts,

Maybe...I would be guided by the person's wishes. If someone asks for prayers, I do say yes.

Also however, a person facing death may want to do some "finishing up:" organizing family photos, a last trip to a favorite destination...and helping them tie loose ends is something that can help.

Well, I've never been in the position of wondering whether God actually existed or who He was, so I can't answer from that perspective.

But if I was injured and at the bottom of a canyon, if my cellphone indicated there was "no signal," what would I have to lose by placing the call?

Besides, since we don't know precisely how "positive thinking" works, aside from helping the body to heal itself, perhaps it might somehow boost the cell phone signal.

And one response indicated that "intercession praying has been show to have no effect or a negative effect."

Who's out there making sure praying is negatively conditioned?

Nope.
I mean, I see those sort of requests all the time of Facebook.
I either ignore them ... Or if the person is being pushy about it, I tell them to get off their knees and actually DO something, 'cause the chances of God answering their prayer is the same as a genie granting me 3 wishes.