In the past decades, numerous studies have examined the relationship between spirituality and health. The researchers have discovered people who regularly attend church and pray faithfully have some advantages over individuals who don’t.
Church goers that benefit more are mostly those who attach to religious practice, including church attendance, personal prayer, meditation and spiritual reading and study of the Bible as well as sacredbooks. It is shown that even those who are not punctual but practice intercessory prayer, asking God to intervene on their behalf or on favor of an individual or a patient, are less victim of certain diseases or their complications.
Unlike other therapies, prayer therapy can be used in all difficulties, as long as you believe. Another benefit is the fact it’s free; you don’t have to pay anyone (pastor, priest, apostle, preacher, and others) for it to work. Donation does not increase your chance for God to hear your prayer. In fact, anyone who asks you to pay or requires donation to pray for you is mostly a mercenary. The bible says you need to confess your sins to God (not to any man whose condition maybe worse than yours) and sincerely repent for God to forgive and answer your prayer. Above all, you need to believe that what you ask shall be given to you, regardless of the physical appearance and time and it take.
Therapeutic applications of prayer as alternative cancer treatment
Improve the quality oflife in cancer patients. Nearly 20 studies were conducted in 2006 to trace the relationship between religiosity/spirituality and cancer. Most of them have concluded that religiosity would improve the long-term adaptation to the disease. The practice helps the cancer patients in the studies to maintain self-esteem and have a meaning and purpose in their life although they were facing a fetal disease. Those religious people also had a better emotional well-being and hope for the future, regardless of what prognosis says.
It also happens sometimes to meet people who testify their miracle healing. For instance, a young lady in Haiti (and people in her community) has confessed to be healed of her head cancer after seeing ‘Jesus’ in a dream operated on her brain. She woke up healthy and strong, and live a cancer-free life ever since.
The problem with prayer and cancer patients is the fact that patients tend to go men as an intermediary to go to God instead of going directly to the Source. And the people they often find are those mega-church preachers who are mainly after donation than helping those in need of physical healing and salvation. They often strip those suffering individuals of little resources they have promising them healing and prosperity.
A woman tells a history of her mother who was fighting terminal cancer. Her mother was brainwashed by a prosperity preacher who told her to give him all money she has as did the widow of Sarepta for God to operate a miracle for her. She listened to the mercenary and gave him her entire saving. She died shortly of the cancer, leaving a burden on the daughter to do the funeral.
Another cancer tells his experience with a very known prosperity preacher. He saw him preaching on television the love of God and his (the preacher’s) compassion for cancer patients. He called and asking his secretary to connect him with the preacher for the prayer. He’s told to pay a certain amount of money as donation before he (the preacher) can pray for him (the cancer patient). The man was fighting cancer for years and was unable to work; he did not have the money to donate. He was denied the prayer.
Some Keys for Prayer to Work for You
The bible says God saves from sins, not in sins. Your first step you need to take to see the glory of God is to confess your sin to him and repent. That may happens you fail after your repentance; Jesus died for you on the cross. Confess your sin and ask for forgiveness again. Christ died for sinners. You don’t need to wait to be perfect to receive the favor of God.
The bible also says that “sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). That is, the fact Jesus died on the cross does not mean the law is abolished. We are no longer under law but under grace means when we sin we don’t have to sacrifice animals; we just need to pray God whose blood was shed, once and for all, on the cross through Jesus-Christ for humankind.
Remember, there is no Grace without Law. The reason we need the grace of God is because His law still exists and eternal. Those who claim the law is abolished at the cross say so to fight against the fourth commandment, the Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11). If it was the case, the 10 commandments (exodus 20: 1 -17) were abolished at the cross, all Christians would be free to commit adultery, bear false witness, covet, and others.
The second step is to read your bible daily to keep your faith active. Reading the Bible is not enough without practice. Do your best to practice what you read. Keep your goal before you daily. It’s best to write some affirmations and repeat them constantly; early in the money and right before sleep. Here is an affirmation example a sick person can use: Jehovah-Raphais my healer; I am healed of all disease in my body.
Along with the prayer therapy, a good lifestyle is important. This includes healthy diet and a peaceful relationship with others. Forgive every one; even those who hurt you the most. Forgive yourself as well; you cannot change your past. Keep your mind free of evils. “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 7:12
Increaselife expectancy. The relationship between religious involvement and mortality has been the subject of a many studies as well. Many researchers have discovered that there is a clear linkbetween longevity and religious people who practice a healthy lifestyle. For instance, the ‘Blue Zone’ (Loma Linda) people are known for their health and long life. They credit their longevity to ahealthy lifestyle, including a plant-based diet. The mechanism by which religious involvementinfluence mortality include elements such as integration and social support, social regulation(consumption of health foods, standards about drugs and alcohol and certain behaviors, for example)and the availability of psychological resources.
References:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tDaSxxUi_M
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