Prayer is a Pillar for Holistic Well-being - Here’s how:

In a world that is incessantly demanding, it's easy to lose touch with what may appear as the less tangible aspects of well-being. Yes, we may take our vitamins, invest in the best healthcare, and strive for work-life balance – but what about those wellness practices that don’t seem as tangibly beneficial? It's here that the ancient practice of prayer finds new relevance, acting as a keystone habit for mental, spiritual, emotional, and based on what I’m about to share with you - even physical health. There is a reason the longest-living people in the world have faith and spirituality as a component of their lives. Prayer is a workout for your brain. Recent research validates the role of prayer in maintaining and improving overall health:

• A comprehensive analysis conducted by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people who prayed regularly had a lower risk of developing mental health issues and were better at managing stress[1].

• Studies published in the Journal of Religion and Health have consistently shown that prayer can improve mental well-being and life satisfaction[2].

• Stress Reduction: Engaging in daily prayer has been shown to lower blood pressure and induce a state of relaxation by triggering the body's relaxation response[3].

• Reduction in Fear and Anxiety: Prayer can regulate and decrease the fight or flight response in the Amygdala.[4].

• Cognitive Clarity: For those of us remembering a pre-digital world, prayer offers a respite from the relentless information overload of modern life, enhancing our cognitive capacities[5].

• Increase in Empathy and Compassion: When we actively spend a few moments practicing praise it leads to quantifiable changes in brain volume and metabolism in the cingulate cortex.[6]

I hope to show you that there may be a formula for how we pray that may make a huge difference in your overall health.

What is prayer?

I think this is a very fair question. To the skeptic, it seems we are talking to ourselves bordering on talking to imaginary friends. But many worldviews and religions practice prayer or ‘the act of communicating with a higher power’. I like the rationale of prayer from a biblical worldview which shows that humanity is caught in the middle of a battle between two ideologies - Love and Selfishness. Here’s a fantastic book by my friend John on this topic. These ideas are described in scripture as being fought by a race of beings called angels led by Michael the archangel who became Jesus (divinity + humanity) and Lucifer who became Satan. The book of Job perhaps more than any other book takes into the heavenly galactic council much like a scene from Star Wars or Dune. We see what appears to be some sort of court case unfolding with humanity as exhibit A. In the book of Daniel, we also see that prayer and seeking divine intervention appears to be an act of war - a detail in the rules of engagement whereas this alien race must be asked at times to intervene in the affairs of mankind and without the act of prayer - they seem restrained.

So prayer from a spiritual standpoint seems important - but I want to focus perhaps selfishly on what other benefits, in the tangible here and now, is prayer doing to our mental, emotional, and physical health.

A Few Common Excuses and Solutions:

• "I'm too busy; there's no time for prayer."

  • The truth is, that prayer doesn't need to be time-consuming. Just a few minutes in the morning or before bedtime can suffice. Think of it as an investment in your emotional bank account.

• "I'm not religious; prayer isn't for me."

  • Prayer doesn't have to be religious or specifically tied to a religion - but it is spiritual. Consider it a form of meditation or quiet reflection, a practice for anyone seeking inner peace and better health. Also, keep reading, I want to share more on this idea.

• "It feels like I'm not doing anything productive."

  • Prayer is not a slot machine, but the science is now clear that even the very practice is beneficial for us - even if what happens outside of prayer is not according to our desires. It is also good to note that health isn't solely about what tangibly feels productive. Restoring your mind and spirit is as important as hitting the gym for your body. Think of it as part of your mental fitness routine.

Takeaways: How to make your prayer life more effective

• Make time for it: It is easy to think we can squeeze in prayer here or there but if you want to experience the benefits, set aside time for it - put it on your calendar even if just a few minutes per day. I think of the Seer of Babylon - Daniel and how even though he leads an empire, somehow he makes time in his daily routine to go to a place and pray for a few minutes 3 different times each day - so much so that people knew it was his routine.

• Find a place for it: Your mind is already going to be racing, you don’t need additional distractions. Go find a place ideally quiet or maybe in nature where you can relax and not be distracted. Though a quiet place may be ideal, many find joy in prayer while they walk.

• Just start - It’s like working out: at first, it may seem nearly impossible just like doing pullups or squats for the first time. But practice makes perfect.

• Follow a process: Just like walking into a gym with your eyes closed and reaching for any weight nearby and expecting to get full benefits, you can’t just close your eyes and start praying. I’ve found the greatest tool is having an outline to follow to keep your mind on track. Here is the one I have found most effective:

P.R.A.Y. - an outline for making prayer a discipline

Before I jump into this routine, I think it’s important to understand who you are praying to. Many people from many walks of life pray to thousands of different gods or higher powers. I’m not out to proselytize you right now but I feel it’s only fair to share my own experience. As I have pondered the idea of prayer, it makes it a lot more personal when I feel I’m talking to someone who can relate with me, has cared for me, and has shown what they have done for me. For me, there is no greater story than the man whom we divide time by - Jesus - as a representation of that higher power - God or Love - that no man has seen. If Jesus is who he says he is, then in prayer I’m talking to someone with a primary objective to save me from the disease of selfishness and death from which mankind has found no cure. But I want to acknowledge that most people paint this ‘God or Higher Power’ as a tyrant who tortures people in fire. I find that picture contrary to the book Jesus claims he inspired. Here’s a video I made on that topic.

P - Praise

Take a few moments or minutes to literally count your blessings. Go through the things in your life that you are grateful for one by one. One author I recently read said at times he counts blessings of prayers that went unanswered because later on he saw that a greater blessing came because that prayer was not answered. It’s a radical thought.

R - Repentance

This one can be hard. But having gone through your praises, now you can move to audit and assess your motives, emotions, and thoughts - where do you see improvement? Where are areas that you recognize you need some external intervention? It’s important to be honest here - if you like a thing that your conscience may be telling you is not life-giving then be honest - “ I like this thing but I’m sensing it may not be good for me - please help me”.

A - Ask

Now you’re in the heart of prayer - often where we jump straight to without any type of formula or routine - open up your heart and emotions and be real. There are two components of this portion of prayer - For you and others.

For you - what do you want, why do you want it, when do you want it?

For others - what do you want for them, why do you want that, when do you want that?

Being we recognize two forces in the world - good and evil or light and darkness or love and selfishness - we need to never forget to ask for protection from all that drags us down and destroys us.

The next step will make more sense of what I just described but I think it’s valuable to be open and honest in prayer of what you want, knowing that this Higher Power who identifies as Love is not a waiter taking our orders but a friend who is listening and who has plans for us of hope and a future.

Y- Yield

So you’ve gotten the benefits of counting your blessings, assessing your motives, seeking external help to be all you are destined to be, and then making your requests known - now another hard part - yielding all that to your friend with whom you have just prayed. You were vulnerable, you were honest, and now you make a closing point to say something like - ‘I trust you with all that I’ve mentioned and yield (or lay down) my desires, wants, burdens, anger, frustration, fear, lust, greed, joy, and fulfillment - all the good and the bad - into your hands’. 

Remember, integrating prayer into your life is less about adding another task to your day and more about creating a sanctuary in time for your mental and emotional health. I’m convinced health is made up of good health of the mind, the body, and the soul. If any are not in harmony with the others - we aren’t experiencing optimal health. This time for prayer is a space where you can lay down the burdens of a high-powered, fast-paced life and reconnect with the values and hopes that define you.

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Your thoughts?

This is a delicate subject. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Hit reply and drop me a quick note.

-Jared

P.S. - This newsletter does not provide medical advice. The content, such as graphics, images, text, and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only. The content is not meant to be complete or exhaustive or to be applicable to any specific individual's medical condition.

[1] "Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Study on Prayer and Mental Health." Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 2021.

[2] "The Impact of Prayer on Mental Well-being." Journal of Religion and Health, vol. 59, no. 5, 2020.

[3] "Prayer and Blood Pressure: A Systematic Review." International Journal of Cardiology, vol. 223, 2016.

[4] Michael Liedke, “Neurophysiological Benefits of Worship,” Journal of Biblical Foundations of Faith and Learning 3, no. 1 (2018): 5, https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1063&context=jbffl

[5] "Cognitive Benefits of Prayer." Journal of Applied Gerontology, vol. 34, no. 7, 2015.

[6] Karen L. Kuchan, “Prayer as a Therapeutic Process toward Aliveness within a Spiritual Direction Relationship,” Journal of Religion and Health 47, no. 2 (July 2008): 263-75, www.researchgate.net/publication/23686585_Prayer_as_Therepeutic_Process_Toward_Aliveness_Within_a_Spiritual_Direction_Relationship. Cited in Liedke, “Neurophysiological Benefits of Worship,” 6.