Faith and Health Connection-Your Relationship With God 

What the Research Says:

When we believe that God loves us, it provides the very important ingredients of hope and optimism that are important for good health. Jeff Levin, Ph.D. writes in his book, God Faith and Health, Exploring the Spirituality-Healing Connection that “Feeling loved by God or a higher power was associated with greater self-esteem, higher levels of self efficacy or sense of mastery, less depression, less physical disability, and greater self-rated health.”

What the Bible Says:

For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. Romans 5:5, 8

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 1 John 4:16

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

What You Can Do:

God is love. Having this belief is critical to the contribution of one’s good health. It is important to believe that God looks after us and wants the best for us. He wired us in such a way to believe the truths in the Bible that He inspired men to write. The verses above are representative of others that speak to the love God has for us.

It is equally important to experience God’s love in our day-to-day lives. This comes when we consciously attribute the good things that happen to us to God working in our life. It comes from recognizing that He works through other people and circumstances. It comes from reading His Bible and learning about His nature and character. We can experience His love when we spend quiet time alone with Him in prayer, meditation and reflection. The peace and joy that we can have resulting from obeying His commandments and abiding in His presence are an aspect of His love. The other fruits of the spirit mentioned in Galatians 5 are also an expression of His love for us. When we experience His love sufficiently and it fills us, we’ll want to give that love away to other people. When we do this, we are fulfilling one of the most important commandments of God… and our lives, including our health, will be better off for it.

Cry Out to God

What the Research Says:

The work of Dr. Harold Koenig of Duke University Medical Center shows that there is a negative relationship between people who plead for direct intersession by God and illness/sickness. In other words, there is a correlation between a pleading approach and negative health outcomes. He suggests, in his book, The Healing Connection, that it may be that these people are more tuned into their own will for their life than God’s will for their life. Jesus gave us an example on crying out to God when He was at the Garden of Gethsemane and soon to be sent to death on the cross. He prayed to God, “Not my will but yours be done.” Matthew 26:39. Koenig’s research shows that those people who were willing to trust in God, no matter what their circumstances, and were willing to work with God in a collaborative coping form, had significantly better mental and physical health.

What the Bible Says:

I waited patiently for the LORD to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD. Psalm 40:1-3

Some were fools; they rebelled and suffered for their sins. They couldn’t stand the thought of food, and they were knocking on death’s door. “LORD, help!” they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them, snatching them from the door of death. Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and sing joyfully about his glorious acts. Psalms 107: 17-22

God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Matthew 5:4

The eyes of the LORD watch over those who do right; his ears are open to their cries for help. Psalm 34:15-16 Give your burdens to the Lord and he will take care of you. Psalm 55:22

So humble yourselves before God. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

James 4:7-8, 9-10

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me. He will send help from heaven to rescue me, disgracing those who hound me. My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness. Psalm 57:1-3

Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Proverbs 2:2-4

What You Can Do:

The Bible makes it very clear. God tells us to cry out to Him. When we cry out to God, we can put our troubles and situation in His hands. He wants us to tell Him the concerns we have about our life, including aspects of our life concerning our health. When we cry out to God, it comes more from our heart than our minds. More than anything else, God wants our heart… our whole heart. Crying out to Him, in complete dependence on Him, is what He wants from us. Once we cry out to Him in a genuine way, then we must trust that He hears us and will act on our prayers.

So how do you cry out to God? Certainly, it is a very personal thing. When I know there is something that I want to tell Him about in a ‘crying out’ way, I try to get to a deep place within my heart… not just pray to Him from my head. Before I pray to Him I often turn on worshipful music. I ask God to help me speak to Him from my heart. Many times I pray I do not get on my knees. During times I cry out to God, I do kneel as that brings me to an even more humble state. Sometimes I talk a walk in a park and make this time of ‘crying out’ a more sacred time, a more special time. Do whatever helps you pray to Him from a deeper place within you. Remember, it is your heart that He wants more than anything.

Reference:  Spiritual Exercises for a Healthier Life, Dale A. Fletcher, M.S, The Faith and Health Connection