23.   Health Benefits of Prayer

baby lying down on hospital bed getting a check up
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Source: Anaesthesia and Intensive Care – A test group of 120 children ages 5 to 12 were tested while they were waiting to receive anesthesia for surgery. Those children whose mothers were religious were less anxious.

Spiritually: The Bible New Living Translation (NLT) Philippians 4:6 stated, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.”

Life Application: iLumina Bible Studies – Attitudes of joy and gentleness, combined with constant awareness of Christ’s return, should dispel any worry. Believers should not set aside life’s responsibilities so as not to worry about them; Paul was focusing on believers’ attitudes in daily life and as they faced opposition and persecution. Christians are to be responsible for their needs and their families and to care about and be concerned for others, but they are not to worry (Matthew 6:25-34).
Worrying is bad because it is a subtle form of distrust in God. When believers worry, they are saying that they don’t trust that God will provide and they doubt that He cares or that He can handle their situation. Paul offered prayer as an antidote to worry. Instead, pray about everything. Prayer combats worry by allowing us catharsis or to release of pent-up feelings and repressed emotions. We can off-load our stress onto God. Paul said to take all the energy that is used in worrying and put it into prayer. This includes praying about everything. No request is too small, difficult, or inconsequential to God. Paul encouraged the believers to pray about what they need and then to thank God for all He has done. It may seem impossible not to worry about anything, but Paul explained that this can happen if Born-Again Christian believers truly give their worries to God. Worry and prayer cannot coexist.

THE PRIORITY OF PRAYER by Dr. Charles Stanley of InTouch Ministries https://www.intouch.org/watch/the-priority-of-prayer