{"id":11104,"date":"2019-09-30T23:06:35","date_gmt":"2019-10-01T03:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.westpark-baptist-dev.com\/?p=11104"},"modified":"2022-06-08T17:03:44","modified_gmt":"2022-06-08T21:03:44","slug":"health-benefits-of-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.westpark-baptist-dev.com\/health-benefits-of-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"Health Benefits of Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"<style type=\"text\/css\"><\/style><h3><strong>Health Benefits of Faith<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p>There has been much research conducted on the faith and health connection. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.templetonpress.org\/books\/medicine-religion-and-health\">Published research<\/a> shows that people who attend church regularly tend to be healthier than those who stay away. Churchgoers seem to lead longer lives, have more robust immunity, lower blood pressure, and better recovery times after operations. Here are just some of the health benefits you get by exercising your faith\u2026<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cFor bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.\u201d \u2013 I Timothy 4:8<\/p>\r\n<h3><strong>Count Your Blessings<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p>Did you know that stress causes bad bacteria to flourish in your gut (microbiome)? According to Steven Gundry, M.D. author of <em>The Longevity Paradox<\/em>, \u201cStress weakens the walls of the gut, triggering inflammation that\u2019s so harmful to health and longevity that researchers have named it \u2018inflammaging.\u2019\u201d He recommends taking five minutes daily to reflect on both blessings and challenges. This helps to affirm life with all it challenges and to be grateful for them. A <a href=\"https:\/\/health.ucdavis.edu\/medicalcenter\/features\/2015-2016\/11\/20151125_gratitude.html\">study by the University of California<\/a> indicates that practicing daily gratitude lowers stress hormone levels by 23%. As Christians, we have a lot to be thankful for. Thank God for allowing you to live life\u2019s experiences and for every blessing. Your gut will thank you for it!<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cO give thanks unto the LORD; for\u00a0<em>he is<\/em>\u00a0good; for his mercy\u00a0<em>endureth<\/em>\u00a0for ever.\u201d \u2013 I Chronicles 16:24<\/p>\r\n<h3><strong>Sing a Song of Praise<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p>Sing praises to the Lord! German research suggests setting aside your to-do list and taking a little time to engage in fun including singing along to your favorite song (or even better, hymn). This activity releases large amounts of GABA, a feel-good hormone boosting your energy and soothing soreness within 10 minutes. Better yet, join a choir. Emotional, social, and cognitive benefits are considerable according to <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0305735605053734\">research by the University of Sheffield, U.K.<\/a> Be glad you\u2019re a Christian and fill your heart with song and feel great!<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cO, come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.\u201d \u2013 Psalms 95:1<\/p>\r\n<h3><strong>Read Your Bible<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p>Make reading the bible a priority. Perk up your mornings by reading just 6-10 minutes a day. If you feel like you\u2019re dragging in the morning it might be because you are not getting enough slow-wave sleep to recharge and seize the day. Reading can reduce stress levels by 68% according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/health\/news\/5070874\/Reading-can-help-reduce-stress.html\">research by the University of Sussex<\/a>. Scientists at the University at Buffalo say reading before you sleep releases serotonin and melatonin, hormones that help you sleep 32% more deeply with extra energy to kickstart your day. It only takes 10 minutes of reading to feel refreshed and it only takes 10 minutes a day to read the bible in one year! Imagine that, 10 minutes of reading scripture to boost body, mind, and spirit!<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cThy word\u00a0<em>is<\/em>\u00a0a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.\u201d &#8211; Psalms 119:105<\/p>\r\n<h3><strong>Say Your Prayers<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p>Starting your day with prayer can reduce burnout by 65% according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pressreader.com\/usa\/womans-world\/20190916\/282205127556400\">study by Duke University<\/a>. Plus, saying prayer can reduce your symptoms by 85% if you feel like your dragging right now. Their research shows that morning prayer stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system \u2013 a network of nerves all over your body that helps you stay calm, clear-headed and energized. Start the morning by speaking to God and banish burnout at the same time! In a <a href=\"https:\/\/today.duke.edu\/2001\/11\/mm_prayerand.html\">previous study<\/a> by Duke Clinical Research Institute, patients who were prayed for had better recovery rates than those who received standard care.<\/p>\r\n<p><strong>\u201c<\/strong>Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;\u201d \u2013 Colossians 4:2<\/p>\r\n<h3><strong>Enjoy Fellowship<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC1494889\/\">Detroit study<\/a> shows that religious involvement is related to better mental and physical health. Findings indicate that one of the major ways religious involvement benefits health is through expanding an individual\u2019s social connections. Social support received from church members mediates the positive relationship between church attendance and specific indicators of health. Results show that faith, seen as a source of strength, has a positive association with chronic conditions while less prayer increases symptoms of depression. Let us gather together!<\/p>\r\n<p>\u201cFor where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.\u201d \u2013 Matthew 18:20<\/p>\r\n<p>==&gt; Also learn about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.westpark-baptist-dev.com\/revival-starts-with-me\/\">Revival Starts with Me<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In &#8220;Health Benefits of Faith&#8221; research shows that people who attend church regularly tend to be healthier than those who stay away.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14175,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[23,370,375,371,306,36,334,376,147,52,56,369,247,373,99,374,377,372],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Health Benefits of Faith - West Park Baptist Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In &quot;Health Benefits of Faith&quot; research shows that people who attend church regularly tend to be healthier than those who stay away.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/www.westpark-baptist-dev.com\/health-benefits-of-faith\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Health Benefits of Faith - 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