Health Tips Part 3: Prayer

When you start thinking about your healthy life, it is easy to get hung up on diets and what to eat, which is exactly why I am writing this series of blog posts. I want you to be able to think about your healthy life being consistent with growing spiritually. You luckily do not need to juggle nine lives, just one awesome cohesive one.  This week are diving into prayer this week as we continue to discuss habits that help you live a healthy life. We will look at what some research articles have found along with God’s Words as we look at prayer.

The Safavie et al. study had women pray 3 times a day for ten days and found a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (2008).

People who spent more time in prayer had increased physical activity levels (Dodor, 2013)

Self ratings of stress were lower among the people in the prayer and self-talk conditions relative to controls. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures only showed a difference between those who prayed than controls, with the prayer group having a lower blood pressure. (Belding, 2010)

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

 "Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving" Colossians 4;2

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16

We have such incredible access to God as a personal yet infinitely powerful Father, who knows you inside and out. Your prayers help you to know Him and His heart while creating a less stressful, more thankful, healthier life.

Prayer looks different for everyone. It is personal and a conversation with a personal God. Every day it can be different. Do not stress about praying, even if you do not know what to say remember that “in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27

Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. - 3 John 1:2

<3 Jessica

References:

All Bible Verse are NASB

Belding, J. N., Howard, M. G., McGuire, A. M., Schwartz, A. C., & Wilson, J. H. (2010). Social buffering by God: Prayer and measures of stress. Journal of religion and health, 49(2), 179-187.

Dodor, B. A. (2013). Effects of religiosity on physical activity, fast food intake, and obesity in emerging adults. Journal of Behavioral Health, 2(1), 19-26.

Safavi, M., Sabuhi, F., & Mahmoudi, M. (2008). The effect of prayer on blood pressure of women in Isfahan in 2005. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 12(2).