Article January 8, 2007 Issue

THE HEALING EFFECT OF GRATITUDE

BY LINDSEY TAYLOR

As a child I was taught always to say, "Thank you," not only to family and friends for gifts and acts of kindness but also to God, for all the good that I experienced, including healing that occurred as the result of prayer. I've since learned gratitude is more than just a quality of grace that makes life sweeter; it plays an indispensable role in prayer.

The Bible abounds with expressions of thanks to God. On more than one occasion, Jesus thanked God before healing was evident to those around him (see Mark 8:6, John 11:41). "Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness," says the Psalmist (Ps. 97:12). Having its origin in Soul, in God himself, gratitude bears spiritual power, and as well as being an essential conclusion to healing, it actually advances healing.