What does worship do to your brain?

Researchers have found that when we worship God, there is an increase in BPNF, which is a neurotransmitter that helps us grow healthy brain cells. Every morning, we wake up with 300 million more brain cells. When we worship, gamma waves are created in our brain that can actually help us feel the presence of God.

laurenlhansen.medium.com - The scientific benefits of worship | by Lauren Hansen - Medium

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The scientific benefits of worship

It’s officially December and the holidays are upon us! What is the best present you’ve ever received? Maybe a Christmas gift or a gift for your birthday, or maybe one day you received a surprise gift in the mail? When I turned 29 years old, my brother, mom and I went to the Cheesecake Factory (yum!) to celebrate. My brother handed me an envelope while we were there and inside was a piece of paper with the words “29 reasons you’re the best sister!” The list contained qualities about me that my brother appreciates and referenced silly memories between us. It was the kindest and most meaningful gift I had ever received. I recently framed it and placed it up on my wall where I can look at it often. It makes me smile. When I think of worship, I think a lot about the list my brother wrote for me. I can picture God having a framed picture of our worship on his wall. As we remember all God has done and who he is in our lives, I imagine it brings a smile to his face. As we grow in intimacy with God, our worship and thanksgiving becomes more specific, and maybe even contains “inside jokes” and silly memories we have with God. Recently, I have been fascinated by the human brain. There is incredible research about what happens to the brain when we give thanksgiving, speak gratitude out loud, and worship. Researchers have found that when we worship God, there is an increase in BPNF, which is a neurotransmitter that helps us grow healthy brain cells. Every morning, we wake up with 300 million more brain cells. When we worship, gamma waves are created in our brain that can actually help us feel the presence of God. Psalm 22:3 says that God inhabits the praises of his people and we actually get a physical boost as these gamma waves fire in our brains while we worship. Gamma waves do more than just make us feel better, they actually increase our intelligence, too. Research has shown that as you worship, you increase in wisdom and there’s an increase in your capacity to understand the goodness of God. So your relationship with God deepens as you worship him. As you worship, your brain is comprehending wisdom from the living Word helping grow your capacity to understand that God absolutely adores you. Just seven minutes of worship every day will change your brain. But this actually takes intentionality. When I think of worshippers in the Bible, the first person I think of is David. He danced and wrote 73 of the 150 Psalms in the Bible. This guy loved worship. In Psalm 27:6, David says, “At his sanctuary, I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the Lord with music.” Another version says, “I will bring him my offerings of praise” (Psalm 27:6 TPT). Did you notice that David said sacrifice? A sacrifice of praise. This means that it won’t always be easy to praise. Sometimes we won’t feel like it or sometimes something in life will make it hard to praise God. Our parents get divorced. Our best friend moves away. Our family member has cancer. We feel anxious or depressed or lonely. In these moments, we, like David, give up a sacrifice of praise. We make a choice to worship. We make a choice to believe God is still good. My dad had a series of brain tumors and two years ago, he got diagnosed with another one. My parents had gotten divorced a few years before and I was really upset with my dad. I barely saw him. But one day, I got the call from him — he had been diagnosed with his fifth brain tumor. I hadn’t spoken to him since Christmas, but my brother and I decided to step up and come alongside my dad during his surgery and recovery. On the day of my dad’s surgery, we were in the waiting room and received word that the tumor had been successfully removed — but during the surgery, my dad had a stroke. His entire left side had been paralyzed. Because of this, he had to stay at a rehabilitation center for recovery. When I was with my dad, I played worship songs and sing over him. “Do it again” became our anthem. I’ve seen you move — you move the mountains — and I believe I’ll see you do it again. My dad’s body didn’t end up healing, but God did move a mountain — he healed my dad’s heart. As I would sing over my dad, he would cry. I had never seen my dad cry before, but he would just weep. And he would tell me things I had always longed to hear — how proud he was of my brother and I and how much he loved our family. My dad rarely said these words growing up, so I treasured them. My dad passed away last year, but God did a greater miracle than I could ever have asked for.

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When we worship, we posture ourselves in a way to receive God’s love. Something happens that softens us and pushes away the darkness. If you are struggling this season, ask God to point you to a song that can be yours and his. And listen to it over and over and over until it sinks deep into your heart. You can also ask God to give you a picture or an image to go along with the song. Sometimes I’ll get a picture of Jesus and I dancing or laughing or him holding me as I sing. Isaiah 61 talks about God giving us a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. If you are battling depression or anxiety or loneliness, God wants to take away your despair and clothe you with praise and joy. As we worship God, we actually learn who we are. He is your defender so you are safe. He is your good father so you are his son or daughter. He is your provider so you are the one he provides for. He is the creator so you are chosen. He is love and you are loved. David gives us a little clue about how to access all of the benefits of worship. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.” David is referencing God’s temple in Jerusalem. The temple consisted of the temple, inner courts and outer courts. The temple is where God’s presence dwelt back before Jesus. Today, we are the temple and God lives in us so worship happens in our innermost part — our heart. Entering gates with thanksgiving refers to the outermost part of the Temple and the courts are the inner courts. At the gates, we thank God for all he has done. Thanksgiving has to do with us and God — what he has done for us, how he has helped us, and how he has been faithful in our lives. The next inner level is the courts with praise. Praise has to do with thanking God for who he is — his attributes and unchanging character. As we thank God for what he has done in our lives (thanksgiving) and who he is (praise), it prepares our hearts for true worship — which flows out of a relationship with him. In the deepest worship, our spirit connects with God’s spirit as one. I shared this message with high schoolers and middle schoolers a few weeks ago, and at the end, we did an activity that I’d like to invite you into as well. Throughout the Bible, there are a variety of names of God — Jehovah Rapha (God is healer), Jehovah Shalom (God is peace), Jehovah Jireh (God is provider), Elohim (God is creator), Jehovah Nissi (God is victory) are a few. Take one of these characteristics of God and write a rap, poem, song or letter to God about this specific aspect of who he is. One of the names above may resonate with your heart in this season. Take that name and create your own song to God. It can be as long or as short as you’d like, set to a melody or not. Worship doesn’t have to be a song — it can be words of thanksgiving or even a posture of gratitude. The students wrote raps/songs in just 15 minutes and it was incredible what they came up with. I’d love to show you one of the raps:

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God is my savior, God is my hero

If praise was a drug, call me the best dealer

He was the one who made me, gotta praise him on the daily And if I’m in some danger you will come in and save me

Get knocked down, get up to be an Alpha

Because guess who’s on my side? Jehovah Rapha

I can picture Jesus dancing to their song with a big smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. What song are you going to sing?

Joyfully,

Lauren

(All research in this post is courtesy of Carolyn Leaf)

laurenlhansen.medium.com - The scientific benefits of worship | by Lauren Hansen - Medium

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