Spirit & Faith
Hope, peace, faith and joy
"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." (3 John 1:2). Caring for body, mind and spirit together.
🔵 Faith
Hope
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.”
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
“They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
Practice
Each morning, write one thing you're looking forward to, and one promise from Scripture.
What research observes
Hope and optimism are linked with healthier behaviors and better well-being in observational research (🟢 FA-KOENIG). They're a source of strength, not a guarantee of outcome.
🔵 Faith
Peace
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Practice
Spend 10 minutes being still: slow breathing with a short prayer phrase on each exhale.
What research observes
Meditation programs moderately reduce anxiety and stress (🟢 ST-GOYAL), and slow breathing raises heart-rate variability (🟢 ST-HRVB).
🔵 Faith
Faith
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
“…your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost… therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”
Practice
Treat caring for your body (sleep, food, movement) as an act of stewardship, and join others in worship.
What research observes
Women who attended religious services more than once a week had 33% lower mortality over 16 years in the Nurses' Health Study (🟢 FA-CHURCH, observational).
🔵 Faith
Joy
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.”
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
“…the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Practice
Laugh with friends, sing in worship, and keep a weekly 'counting blessings' list.
What research observes
Gratitude lists modestly improved well-being in RCTs (🟢 ST-GRAT). A small study linked mirthful laughter to lower stress hormones (🟡 ST-LAUGH).
🔵 Faith
Renewing the mind
“Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.”
“…whatsoever things are true… honest… just… pure… lovely… of good report… think on these things.”
Practice
Write down one unhelpful thought, and replace it with a true statement or a verse. Read it aloud morning and night.
What research observes
This parallels cognitive reframing, a core skill in CBT. Expectation even shapes symptoms (🟡 ST-KAPTCHUK), though belief doesn't cure disease.
Faith library
Scripture & faith sources in this manual
- 🔵 BON-T1 The 8 Laws of Health (pure air, exercise, sunshine, temperance, rest, proper diet, water, trust in divine power): Eight 'natural doctors'. She credits Florence Nightingale and Dr. James C. Jackson (1800s) with similar lists.
- 🔵 BK-LEAF Switch On Your Brain: Christian framing of neuroplasticity and taking 'thoughts captive' (2 Cor 10:5).
- 🔵 BK-DANIEL The Daniel Plan: A church-based program covering faith, food, fitness, focus and friends (Daniel 1).
- 🔵 BK-MCMILLEN None of These Diseases: Biblical health laws (Exodus 15:26) read alongside medicine.
- 🔵 BK-WHITE The Ministry of Healing: The original source of the 'eight natural remedies' that O'Neill teaches.
- 🔵 FA-PROV237 Proverbs 23:7: "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he."
- 🔵 FA-PROV1722 Proverbs 17:22: "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."
- 🔵 FA-3JOHN2 3 John 1:2: "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth."
- 🔵 FA-1COR619 1 Corinthians 6:19–20: "…your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost… therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."
- 🔵 FA-GEN129 Genesis 1:29: "Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed… and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat."
- 🔵 FA-DAN112 Daniel 1:12–15: Daniel's ten-day test of pulse (vegetables) and water, after which he and his companions appeared "fairer and fatter in flesh."
- 🔵 FA-EZEK4712 Ezekiel 47:12: "…the fruit thereof shall be for meat, and the leaf thereof for medicine."
- 🔵 FA-PHIL46 Philippians 4:6–8: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer… whatsoever things are true… think on these things."
- 🔵 FA-ROM122 Romans 12:2: "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind."
- 🔵 FA-PS4610 Psalm 46:10: "Be still, and know that I am God."
- 🔵 FA-MK631 Mark 6:31: "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while."
- 🔵 FA-ECC31 Ecclesiastes 3:1: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." (rhythms, rest and fasting seasons)
- 🔵 FA-MT1717 Matthew 17:21 / Isaiah 58:6: Prayer and fasting as spiritual disciplines (Isaiah 58: "Is not this the fast that I have chosen?")
- 🔵 FA-EPH426 Ephesians 4:26, 31–32: "Let not the sun go down upon your wrath… be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another."
- 🔵 DA-ALLEN As a Man Thinketh: A 1903 classic: thoughts shape character and circumstance, based on Proverbs 23:7.
- 🔵 DA-BARTON Invitation to Solitude and Silence: Christian practice of silence and solitude ('Be still', Psalm 46:10).
- 🔵 DA-GROESCHEL1 Winning the War in Your Mind: Renewing the mind (Rom 12:2), with CBT-like thought replacement.
- 🔵 DA-GROESCHEL2 Heal Your Hurting Mind: Faith and mental health. Encourages therapy alongside faith.
- 🔵 DA-LUCADO Tame Your Thoughts: Taking thoughts captive (2 Cor 10:5).
- 🔵 DA-CHAN Forgotten God: The Holy Spirit in the believer's life.
- 🔵 DA-BATTERSON The Circle Maker / Whisper: Prayer and listening to God.
- 🔵 DA-GOLDSMITH The Infinite Way: Christian-mystic spiritual healing through consciousness.
- 🔵 DA-SHINN The Power of the Spoken Word / The Game of Life: New Thought: words and affirmations shape life.
Faith and medicine together
Prayer, worship and hope sit alongside medical care, never against it. Illness is never a sign of weak faith. "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him" (James 5:14). Many believers also see doctors and medicine as a means of God's care.
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”