GOD'S HMO'S
In Christian Counseling Today Magazine I discovered another article talking about "Spirituality Theology and Health." It highlighted the center for the study of Religion/Spirituality and Health at Duke University. After twenty years of study and 25 research studies they discovered the following:
a. Many people when they become sick either mentally or physically turn to religious beliefs and practices to help them cope.
b. These beliefs and practices are usually associated with better mental, and even better physical, health (lower blood pressure, better immune functioning, longer life span, etc. (page 39).
c. These studies show that people who are actively involved in a religious community, who pray regularly and who report that religion is an instrumental part of their lives, often experience less depression, less anxiety, greater hope, more purpose and meaning, and recover more quickly from health-damaging emotions such as depression.
d. They also discovered a fascinating link between devout religious practice and good physical health.
After reading this article I thought God's HMO's are functioning and helping people to heal in America. They are churches! God is still in the healing business, and He is still active in this realm of medicine. I then thought Lord – Can you help me create a "Healing Church?" So I decided to research, "How to Create a Healing Church." I learned that they do exist, and God is willing to help us staff and empower Christian Wholeness Centers. I found out that the world is starting to pay attention to the spiritual dimension of a person when it comes to heath and wholeness. Listen to this:
Time magazine did a spread on the power of prayer in health and happiness. They concluded that the prayed-for patients did better, had better spirits and recovered quicker (Time.com, Leon Jaraff, "Investigating the Power of Prayer.")
Newsweek, Nov. 10, 2003 edition also researched God and Health and concluded, "Religion is good Science and Science is starting to believe this!" In one of their surveys, 84 percent of people believed that praying for the sick improved their chances of recovery. In another study, they showed that there is evidence through brain scans that prayer impacts the brain waves and functions of the brain.
All this research plus many other sources support the fact that we need to tap into God’s HMO's for a healthier life today.