“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Medical doctors have long known that a positive mental attitude (PMA) is good for your health. Those who see the glass as half-full have lower levels of stress, depression, and anxiety than those who see the glass as half-empty. But recent studies by Dr. Paul Mills, a neurophysiology at the University of California, San Diego, conclude that the specific feeling of gratitude has powerful healing properties especially for your heart.

In the first round of his study, Dr. Mills surveyed 186 men and women with a history of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure about their overall level of gratefulness. The results were astounding…the more grateful patients had markedly less incidents of depression, slept better, had less anxiety, and their blood work showed significantly lower levels of vascular inflammation (the bodies natural reaction to injury) than their less grateful peers.

In the second round of his study, Dr. Miller took things one step further. He tested people for heart disease and then asked them to keep a daily journal for two months. “We asked them for most days of the week, [to] please sit down and write down two or three things that you are grateful for….” Dr. Miller said, “… write a few sentences, paragraphs, pages. Whatever you are inspired to do.” People wrote about appreciating friends, children, spouses, travel, even pets. And at the end of two months, a full battery of tests showed that writing about gratitude reduced the risk of heart disease, reduced inflammation, and fostered more regular heart rhythms. In short, thankfulness heals.

“By focusing on those things that you can feel grateful for, and acknowledging their presence in your life and letting that sense of gratitude wash over you; that very much helps us manage and cope.”, Dr. Mills concluded.

It sounds to me as if Dr. Mills has just prescribed a daily time of worship and praise for every human being on the planet as a means of promoting good health! As Christ-followers, this comes as no surprise…expressing thanks to God is one of the most powerful ways to align ourselves with the way our Heavenly Father is working in our lives. As we acknowledge His goodness and release control of the chaos, we are able to function from a position of rest and experience healing in His presence.

So are you anxious, stressed, troubled, overwhelmed, depressed, or even physically sick? Follow Dr. Mill’s prescription, or better yet, take the prescription directly from your loving Father. It was written down over 3,000 years ago: Psalm 92:1-2. It is good to praise the LORD…O Most High, to proclaim Your love in the morning and Your faithfulness at night.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!