Seven more thoughts to consider:

(1) When it comes to praying and getting involved in church, a University of Michigan study found that it reduced the emotional toll of financial stress.

(2) A respected gerontologist reported that following heart surgery, private prayer can improve your overall state of well-being and make you feel less anxious.

(3) A National Survey of Children’s Health confirms that kids who get involved in church have higher educational expectations and do better in maths and reading. And kids who went to church as little as once a month are less likely to repeat a year in school.

(4) Psychiatric Services journal cites several studies showing how positive religious beliefs play an important role in recovery from alcohol and/or drug abuse, and greatly reduce the rate of recidivism.

(5) When researchers at Yale School of Medicine studied 2000 people over sixty-five, they found that the ones who attended church were less likely to lose their mental faculties in future years.

(6) Anger puts your stress reaction into overdrive, and raises your blood pressure. Ohio State University studies confirm that praying for the person you’re angry with can calm your anger and foster positive emotions like compassion, which improves your overall health.

(7) And Sociological Quarterly reports that teens who find meaning and importance in their faith have better relationships with their parents, which leads to a more satisfying experience for the whole family.