Just Pray. It is mentioned in the Bible more than “love your neighbor,” more than “go to church,” and more than “evangelize.” More than anything else, God wants us to pray. It may be the oldest and most reliable form of wireless communication, but science is proving, it does a body good. That’s right, regular prayer and meditation has been shown in numerous studies to be an important factor in living longer and staying healthy, according to an article published in the Huffington Post.
According to the article, there has been ongoing studies over the past forty years between the relationship of prayer and health. Dr. Herbert Benson, a cardiovascular specialist at Harvard Medical School and a pioneer in the field of mind/body medicine, discovered what he calls “the relaxation response.” This occurs when we pray and meditate. At such times, the body’s metabolism decreases, the heart rate slows, blood pressure goes down, and our breath becomes calmer and more regular. Stress levels decrease as this state of calm is associated with slower brain waves and feelings of control, tranquil alertness and peace of mind. Since Dr Benson believes over half of all doctor visits in the U. S. today are from stress and anxiety, this is pretty significant. Stress after all, is one of the major risk factors for disease. His most recent research suggests that long term daily spiritual practices like praying actually help deactivate genes that trigger inflammation and prompt cell death. The mind can affect the expression of our genes – that’s exciting evidence for how prayer may influence the functioning of the body at the most fundamental level!
Dr. Andrew Newburg conducted a study, and found that prayer and meditation increase levels of dopamine, which is associated with states of well being and joy. The National Institute of Health found that individuals who prayed daily were shown to be 40% less likely to have high blood pressure than those without a daily prayer practice. Research at Dartmouth Medical School found that patients with strong religious beliefs who underwent elective heart surgery were three times more likely to recover than those who were less religious. Other studies show that prayer boosts the immune system and helps lessen the severity, and frequency, of a wide range of illnesses.
The article also says that prayer is the most widespread alternative therapy in America today. That over 85% of people confronting a major illness pray. Prayer also helps to alleviate stress levels, which is one of the major risk factors for disease. Increasingly, the evidence is that prayer works! What science can tell us is that people who pray and meditate tend to be statistically more healthy and live longer than those who don’t.
Then, it’s no wonder why God commanded us centuries ago to … “pray without ceasing” 1 Thessalonians 5:17
