“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” —Philippians 4:6-7
What can help heal your body and your mind and soothe your deepest heartaches?
The verse above tells us how to deal with anxiety.
Pray for everything; ask, implore, beg for help—and do that with thanksgiving to God.
That deliberate attitude of gratefulness produces the most miraculous results: Peace beyond anything we can explain and a promise to guard, protect, and take care of our hearts and minds.
A young woman from our church landed in the hospital with a life-threatening condition. As she remembered this verse, she thanked God for her life and family. She believed that her heart and mind would be protected. And they were. She made a complete recovery.
Surrendering to the Lord and thanking Him helped her mind and body fight the illness.
We think about gratitude during the Thanksgiving season, but this is not a once-a-year exercise. When we are happy and blessed—and when we are facing daunting circumstances— thankfulness is urged over and over in Scripture. Scientists agree. An attitude of gratitude increases your sense of well-being, builds your immune system, and changes your brain chemistry.
Dr. Caroline Leaf cites studies that prove, “DNA actually changes shape according to our thoughts.” She explains that the harmful effects of destructive DNA codes were “reversed by feelings of love, joy, appreciation and gratitude!”1
The National Institute of Health, in 2009, also published studies that demonstrate how gratitude makes you healthier. 2
But the most impressive, personal body of work that encourages gratitude is the Word of God.
Over a hundred Bible verses call for thankfulness, including one repeated three times in the Psalms: “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!” (Psalm 107:1, 136:1, 136:26, ESV).
If we can manage to keep an attitude of gratitude in all circumstances, in the blessings and the challenges, we will reap the benefits of a thankful heart.
“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.”— G.K. Chesterton
1.Caroline Leaf, Switch on Your Brain, (Baker Books, Michigan, 2013) p. 35.
2. How Gratitude Actually Changes Your Brain, (https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-gratitude-actually-changes-your-brain-and-is-good-for-business/), retrieved August 2019.
