Your Spirit: Find Help in a Higher Power

Beliefs and values

What you believe and value in life – not just what you think -- has a direct effect on your chronic pain perception. Do you find value and purpose in your life? Do you believe there is a purpose in your pain? Do you believe that with the help of a higher power you can overcome many of the challenges of chronic pain? Do you believe that you can live a rich, fulfilling life in spite of your pain – or perhaps, even in part, because of it? 

Beliefs and prayer

Individuals who use their spiritual beliefs in coping with illness, pain, and stress have been found to have a more positive outlook and higher quality of life. Spiritual well-being may help individuals in pain find the ability to more fully enjoy a life with peace and hope.
 
Research has also shown the benefits of both prayer and group worship. Individual studies have shown that prayer improves sense of well-being and general health, reduces pain in cancer patients, improves emotional health and coping in people with rheumatoid arthritis, and boosts the immune systems of people with AIDS. 

Praying and worshipping

Prayer can benefit us in many ways. It has the power to reduce stress, which can worsen pain.  By putting our worries in the hands of a higher power, we can relieve anxiety.  By saying prayers of praise, we remember that someone greater than us is in control. By saying prayers of thanks, we are reminded of our blessings, and by praying for others we become less focused on our own pain and problems.
 
Individual studies examining the effects of group worship have shown that those who regularly attend religious services have better health, better responses to medical treatment and increased life expectancy compared to those who don’t. 

Learn more

To learn more about spirituality and chronic pain, visit Hope Springs Chapel.
Proudly sponsored by the JSA Chronic Disease Foundation