Sunday, May 1, 2016

PRAYER - 87 Percent of Americans Turn to This in Times of Need

87 Percent of Americans Turn to
This in Times of Need

10:30AM EDT 4/28/2016 JESSILYN JUSTICE

The whopping majority of Americans have turned to prayer when they or a friend needs healing. (Flickr/Creative Commons)

Prayer is one of the most widely used forms of medical treatment, according to a new study released by Baylor University's Jeff Levin.

"Outside of belief in God, healing prayer might be the most ubiquitous religious practice that there is," Levin told CNN. "This might be one of the most prevalent forms of primary care medicine, and I don't say that lightly."

Prayer for healing is so prevalent that nearly 6 in 7 Americans—a whopping 87 percent—have prayed for healing in their own lives or those around them.

"Among the most pressing reasons for prayer—for prayerfulness in general and the act of focused praying, in particular—are challenges to health or well-being, such as due to acute or chronic illness or to an injury," Levin writes in the study. "Such circumstances disrupt the normal rhythms of life, and they may cause even religiously disinterested people to call out to God, imploring Him to respond to their needs. We all know the saying that there are no atheists in foxholes. For active believers and people of faith, prayer, including for healing, is more than a situationally motivated response to one's own suffering; it is an ongoing expression of piety and of taking up the yoke to be of service to others by acting as a liaison or advocate between suffering individuals and God."

But what's more impressive for Levin is how many people follow Mark 16:18, the laying on of hands to heal the sick.

Mark 16:18 … “they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” English Standard Version (ESV)

More than a quarter of those surveyed said they would lay hands on the sick and ask for healing. Further, more than half of those surveyed said they participated in groups.

"For one, these findings suggest that the blessing of a personal and loving relationship with God may motivate some people to externalize their concomitant feelings of grace, acceptance, forgiveness and concern into concern for others. Those who are blessed may feel obligated to relieve the suffering of others so that they, too, may be blessed and feel the love. Obedience to God, to the source of unlimited divine love ... may bring with it a holy compulsion to live out one's discipleship as an agent of healing," Levin writes.

Would you want God to change your life?

God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience an amazing change in your own life through a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ, and have eternal life.

Say the following prayer:

“Father God, I confess I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from you.

I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my past sinful life and live a new life pleasing to you.

Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again.

I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.

I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Thank you that according to your Word, I am now born again.

Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life.

In Jesus' name I pray, amen.”

“Heal Me O Lord”                 Don Moen

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeUPu4y59pw

lyrics

Heal me O, Lord

And I will be healed

Save me and I will be saved
Heal me O, Lord
And I will be healed
For You are the One I praise
You are the One I praise

Heal me O, Lord
And I will be healed
Save me and I will be saved
Heal me O, Lord
And I will be healed
For You are the One I praise
You are the One I praise

Heal me O, Lord
And I will be healed
Save me and I will be saved
Heal me O, Lord
And I will be healed
For You are the One I praise
You are the One I praise
You are the One I praise

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