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Weekly Newsletter Archive >
Basic Mind-Body Therapy: Prayer!
Basic Mind-Body Therapy: Prayer!
Oct 15, 2009
Did you know: Prayer is the most basic mind-body therapy known to man? In fact, even though some experts are only realizing how important your spirit is to your physical health now, Hippocrates, the father of medicine, believed that the moral and spiritual aspects of a person’s life affected their health.
Every thought, emotion, idea or belief has a neurochemical consequence. Our brains produce and communicate with immune cells throughout our bodies via substances called neuropeptides, chains of amino acids. As Christians, we are taught in scripture that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21) and as Jesus Himself told the woman with the issue of blood, “Your faith has made you well” (Matthew 9:22).
A study presented at the Convention of the American Psychological Association revealed that faith-based positive religious resources can help patients recover from cardiac surgery. Duke University researchers found people who participate in religious observances tend to have lower rates of illness and hospitalization. While these results were observed, the explanation for why is not so simple. The oldest and most basic mind-body therapy, prayer, is our foundation. As Christians everything we do begins with prayer (1 Thess.5:17). One study revealed prayer was slightly more effective (90%) than drugs (89%) in pain relief. Yet, another study revealed that patients in the coronary care unit (CCU) who randomly received remote, intercessory prayer (plus usual care) stayed just as long in the CCU and hospital as patients who received usual care only.
The effect of belief, expectation and prayer on a physical outcome are difficult, if not impossible, to accurately quantify. For example, there are clearly defined scales for measuring depression. However, given the differences between us, our belief systems, upbringing, self-image and attitudes, it is difficult to reduce these forces to a mathematical equation. There have been countless instances of faith-filled, sincere believing Christians who have prayed, exercised their faith, believed for and confidently expected healing, yet did not receive it. We hear of instances where someone is healed of a terminal disease to go on and live many healthy years, like Dodie Osteen, Pastor Joel Osteen’s mother, who was healed of cancer many years ago and remains healthy to this day. Dr. Bill Bright, a mighty man of God, suffered for many years with a degenerative lung disease and did not experience healing this side of heaven.
Are we to discount the power of faith and prayer simply because we do not completely understand how it works and we cannot quantify it scientifically? As people of faith, I believe we must remember that faith by its very definition requires unanswered questions. Rather than abandoning our faith or discounting the research being conducted on this, we can incorporate it as part of a healthy lifestyle. The specifics of how certain general anesthetics work are not fully understood – but they are used daily anyway. Therefore, we can use discernment, wisdom and common sense and still exercise our faith. The mind-body connection, and Word-centered, faith-filled, believing prayer in particular, is a valuable tool we can use to improve our quality of life. The Bible gives us practical instructions on how to do this:
Meditating on and confessing scripture changes our attitudes, beliefs and expectations (Ephesians 4:23);
Practicing forgiveness and refusing to be offended or harbor bitterness will positively impact our relationships as well as our physical health (Matthew 6:14);
Developing an attitude of gratitude and believing the best of everyone changes the negatives in our lives into positives by adjusting our perspective (Ephesians 5:20);
Exercising faith in God and His Word and living in the joy of the Lord are powerful stress-busters! (Romans 10:17, Nehemiah 8:10).
If you are battling some disease or physical condition, should you feel condemned because you think you may have brought it on by wrong thoughts or words? Absolutely not! We live in a sin-scarred, imperfect world. Romans 8:1 assures us that there is now NO condemnation to us in Christ Jesus. There is much we do not know and won’t fully understand this side of heaven. While doctors and health practitioners do their best to treat disease, God alone heals.
Can we eat every type of junk food, never rest, sleep or exercise, stay constantly stressed yet pray, speak healing scriptures and remain vibrantly healthy? Again, no. Remember faith without works is dead (James 2:26). We need both components. God doesn’t do your part and you can’t do His!
We can, however, train ourselves to think and then speak and pray positive, faith-filled words that create and release the expectation of health and healing. We can exercise 2 Corinthians 10:5 and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ (one of the 3-D Living Program strategies I call the “3 C’s” – capture, cancel and confess!)
As human beings we exercise our faith numerous times daily – we turn the key in the ignition expecting the car to start; we sit on the chair expecting it to hold us. How much more should we as Christians use our faith in God, who has assured us many times that His will for us is to live healthy, abundant lives. (3 John 2, Luke 9:11, Ps. 103:3) Lack of total understanding is not an issue. I don’t fully understand how a car runs, but I still drive. Even though we cannot yet quantify and explain fully the mechanisms of faith and prayer as they relate to healing, we can access these spiritual forces.
A Sincere Invitation
If you have never received Jesus as Savior and Lord or would like to renew that commitment, I invite you to click the link, pray the prayer and send me an email saying you’ve done so. I will send you a free gift to help you grow in your faith and will also pray for you regularly.
http://www.threedimensionalvitality.com/A_Sincere_Invitation.html
New Free 3-D Living E-Book
3-D Living Program
This is the foundation of all my coaching packages and if you would like to learn a little more about how I approach health, click that link and ask for your free e-book, “Basics for Living a 3-D Life.”
http://www.threedimensionalvitality.com/Free_Resources.html
This is a foundational principle of my 3-D Living Program. Everything begins with the spirit. That is the “real” you. Prayer is nourishment and exercise for your spirit! Personally, I couldn’t get through five minutes without prayer, which is simply talking with God. I find myself speaking to Him constantly. Praying for yourself and others is the most powerful thing you can do and should be your first line of defense regardless of the problem. I love the Message Translation of Isaiah 55:11: “So will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.” If you need prayer or want someone to join their faith with yours for healing or any other need, feel free to email me and I would consider it a privilege to link my faith to yours.
Until next week, as always, I wish you abundant, overflowing health, peace and joy and I call you BLESSED!
Ann
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