Science Confirms Prayer Heals and Lengthens Life
Modern research confirms that having a peaceful mind and a life full of joy improves our body’s ability to fight off disease and actually heal itself. What you may not know is that there is growing scientific evidence that prayer heals and faith in God, actually does protect from illness, heal us when we are sick and add years to our lives!
For people of faith, this is not a surprise. Many if not most people who believe in God and pray regularly can tell you of times when they have seen marked improvement in their health or the health of those they prayed for. If you have been skeptical take a look at this discussion from Newsmax about the growing science of prayer.
Now, more and more medical research from leading hospitals and universities across the U.S. has shown conclusively a belief in God really IS good for you, making you healthier and happier, and helping you live longer.
“Studies have shown prayer can prevent people from getting sick — and when they do get sick, prayer can help them get better faster,” Duke University’s Harold G. Koenig, M.D., tells Newsmax Health.
An exhaustive analysis of more than 1,500 reputable medical studies “indicates people who are more religious and pray more have better mental and physical health,” Dr. Koenig says.
“And out of 125 studies that looked at the link between health and regular worship, 85 showed regular churchgoers live longer…
…The proof of the power of prayer is overwhelming, says researcher and writer Tom Knox, a one-time atheist who became a regular worshipper after doing in-depth study of the medical benefits of faith.
“What I discovered astonished me,” admits Knox. “Over the past 30 years a growing and largely unnoticed body of scientific work shows religious belief is medically, socially, and psychologically beneficial.”
Study after study backs up the benefits of having faith, especially in prolonging life. In 2006, population researchers at the University of Texas discovered that the more often you go to church, the longer you live. – Newsmax Health
Reduce Stress With Prayer
Stress is the big agent for disease in our bodies today. We are told we need to reduce the stress in our lives and that is absolutely true. There are many stress reducing techniques out there. Have you ever considered reducing stress with prayer?
Here is a discussion from Psychology Today about the power of prayer to reduce stress and improve our health.
Finally, I talked about prayer as a way to cope with stress. There is quite a bit of research focused on the different ways that people use prayer to cope with a variety of psychological and physical health challenges. Research is also discovering how the content of a prayer matters. For instance, prayer that is focused on showing thankfulness and/or getting closer to God has a positive effect on mental well-being. Prayer that is focused on asking God for something does not positively influence well-being and may even harm it…
In all, researchers continue to explore the power of prayer. Over 50% of Americans say they pray every day and many more pray at least once a week. Though scientists can’t tell people whether or not God hears their prayers, they can help them understand the measurable benefits they receive from praying. – Psychology Today
Is prayer a part of your regular routine?