'Praying' gives older adults a boost to live longer

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Washington DC: Older adults, who pray regularly, are more likely to have a perception that God will be there to protect and comfort them in later stages of life, according to a study.

The study focuses on three measures of well-being -- optimism, self-esteem and contentment with life -- and shows that for all of them, there is a relationship between attachment to God and prayer.

"What we`re finding is that prayer can be associated with more or less well-being, depending on how you perceive God," said a researcher Blake Kent from Baylor University in the US."In a nutshell, the psychological benefits of prayer seem to be dependent on the quality of a person`s relationship with God," Kent added.

The team noted that a rise in relationships with a divine being seen largely as a purveyor of goods and services to satisfy emotional and psychological needs."When you can`t trust God, prayer is not associated with confidence in his care, but with uncertainty and anxiety.

There is a perception out there that prayer is automatically good for your well-being. That may not be the case for everyone, because such a perception assumes that God is responsive and trustworthy.

"They analysed 1,024 respondents aged 65 years old.Those sampled were in three groups: currently practicing Christians; Christians in the past but not religious presently; and individuals not affiliated with any faith at any point in their lifetime.

The findings indicated that the respondents, who pray regularly to a God they perceive, the God will be there to protect and comfort them and may find relief in prayer and may choose health-promoting behaviours consistent with religious teachings or insights they receive during prayer.

In contrast, those who try to build a relationship with a god that they do not believe will be there in times of need may feel estranged and even experience a decline in mental health.

They noted that the perception of God as loving may be especially important among older adults dealing with declining health, age discrimination, a loss of friends and perhaps financial loss due to retirement.Various aspects of religious life, including perceived intimacy with God, have been shown to buffer against stress.

A loving and supportive God who also is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient may provide considerable comfort, assurance and resilience to believers, who are approaching the end of their lives, they concluded.