“Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 5:17-20
Social science research shows the many social and personal benefits of religious worship:
• Individuals who are religiously involved live an average of seven years longer than those who are not.
• People who are frequently involved in religious activities and highly value their religious faith are at reduced risk
of depression.
• A major review of 99 studies found a relationship between religious involvement and greater happiness, life satisfaction, morale, and positive attitude.
• Young people who attend religious services weekly and rate religion as important in their lives are less likely to engage in risky behavior, such as drunk driving, riding with drunk drivers, driving without a seat belt, or engaging in interpersonal violence. They are also less likely to smoke (tobacco or marijuana) or drink heavily.
• Religiously involved students spend more time on their home work and work harder in school than non-religious students.
Having a relationship with God and living according to His design benefits individuals and society. How can you increase your own piety? Is there anyone you know who might reconsider getting close to God? How might you ask them?
The accompanying graph shows those who have ever smoked, drank, or used marijuana under age by their religious worship, compared to that of non-worshippers. Worshippers are less likely to smoke, drink, or use marijuana under age. Many people may be surprised to hear this – how can we spread the word?
*It bears emphasizing that these patterns hold for the groups involved, not for all the individuals who make up each group. There is naturally a wide variation among individuals.
http://marri.us/wp-content/uploads/The-Social-and-Personal-Benefit-of-the-Worship-of-God.pdf