The Mind-body Connection

 The Mind-body Connection – It’s a biological truth that the things we think about and dwell on actually become part of who we are.  We will never get to the spiritual roots of sickness and disease if we don’t first understand the biology of how our minds affect our bodies.  There is a mind-body connection with the hypothalamus being the switchboard from the mind to the body.

  

Hypothalamus - The hypothalamus is a small but crucial region that regulates many essential bodily functions in the brain which coordinates both the autonomic nervous system and the activity of the pituitary controlling body temperature, sleep-wake cycles, heart rate, thirst, breathing, digestion, blood pressure, hunger, and other homeostatic systems, and involved in sleep and emotional response activity without conscious thought.  It controls the release of hormones from the pituitary gland, which in turn affects other glands like the thyroid and adrenal glands

Functions of the hypothalamus

• Hormone regulation: The hypothalamus produces releasing and inhibiting hormones that control the pituitary gland, which then manages the activity of other endocrine glands. This is crucial for growth, metabolism (thyroid gland), reproduction, and more. 
• Autonomic nervous system control: It influences the autonomic nervous system to manage functions like heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing. 
• Thermoregulation: It acts as the body's thermostat, regulating body temperature. 
• Appetite and thirst: The hypothalamus controls hunger, satiety, and the drive to drink, helping to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance. 
• Sleep-wake cycles: It helps regulate the body's internal clock, including the sleep-wake cycle. 
• Emotional response and behavior: It plays a role in mood, emotional responses, and behaviors like sexual drive and aggression. 
• Reproduction: It is involved in controlling reproductive hormones and behaviors. the hypothalamus acts as a crucial link, taking signals from your thoughts and emotions (processed in other brain areas like the amygdala) and translating them into physical, automatic body responses through the nervous and endocrine systems, controlling things like heart rate, stress hormones (cortisol), sleep, thirst, and body temperature to maintain stability (homeostasis). Note: Cortisol is a vital steroid hormone produced by your adrenal glands that acts as a chemical messenger, helping regulate metabolism, immune response, and blood pressure, and playing a crucial role in the body's stress response (often called the "stress hormone").  Too much cortisol secretion destroys the white T cells that fights off autoimmune diseases such as cancer. 

 

How it works:

1. Receives Input: When you think something stressful or feel an emotion (fear, excitement), signals are sent to the hypothalamus.
2. Interprets & Commands: It acts like a command center, deciding how the body should react.
3. Acts via Nervous System: It triggers the autonomic nervous system, specifically the sympathetic ("fight-or-flight") system, increasing heart rate and diverting energy.
4. Acts via Hormones: It releases hormones (like CRH) that tell the pituitary gland to release more hormones, like cortisol, for a sustained stress response.
5. Maintains Balance (Homeostasis): It also regulates hunger, thirst, body temperature, sleep cycles, and sexual drive, ensuring your internal environment stays stable. 

 

Thoughts come from three places, God, self, and Satan.  Thoughts from Satan are in the form of temptations to bring us into sin every day.  Your thoughts, including emotions) create the "message," and the hypothalamus delivers that message to your body's organs and glands, causing physical changes that can result in sickness and disease. 

 

Fear – Stress/anxiety which is fear is mentioned a multitude of times in the bible.  It’s probably our #1 cause of medical issues.  Fear enters our brain and it goes through the hypothalamus and produces many, many, physical and emotional symptoms that lead to health issues such as high blood pressure, panic attaches, migraines, heart issues, circulation, and many more.

 

Unloving Spirit – The unloving spirit is interconnected with fear and the vast majority suffer with not feeling loved or not worthy to be loved at one level or another.  The unloving spirit can be passed down the generations and will affect us from the time we are born until we pass. 

 

Fear is not from God, 2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Fear is from Satan and he will use fear to torment us and destroy us. 

 

I believe that the most effective prayer for this is:

Father God, in Jesus Name, I command the hypothalamus to stop taking destructive information from the brain to our bodies that leads to sickness and disease.  We take every evil spirit captive according to 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 and cast it away.  (2 Corinthians 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ).

 

If you have control of your thoughts and especially emotional thoughts, you have control over your physical body as it pertains to sickness and disease.  The only way to do this is through effective prayer.  We cannot get healed if we don’t pray.  Doctors and self-help will not heal us.

 

I will leave you all with this again: It’s a biological truth that the things we think about and dwell on actually become part of who we are.  We will never get to the spiritual roots of sickness and disease if we don’t first understand the biology of how our minds affect our bodies.  There is a mind-body connection with the hypothalamus being the switchboard from the mind to the body.

It is time for the church of Jesus Christ to make ourselves available for teaching on how to effectively pray for each other so that we may be in better health. 3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.                                                                  Tony 12-14-2025

Not being Healed?

 Why Are You Not Being Healed?

The above subject is not being addressed by the Body of Jesus Christ.  Yet, our health issues physically, emotionally, and even spiritually (unbelief) dominate our lives. Why have we been programed by science, doctors, and mankind to seek every alternative cure and ignore God?  The answers to being healed are not complicated and it is very frustrating people are not being healed even though God in His Word promises healing through prayer.  God sent His Son Jesus to show us how to pray for healing.  Luke 4:18-19 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”  So, why are we not doing this?

Five Things Keeping Us in Captivity to Sickness and Disease?

1.     We don’t read the Bible consistently to know that we can be healed.  Exodus 15:26 and said, “If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you.”

2.     Even if we read the Bible, we don’t believe we can be healed.  Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.  Romans 14:23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. Mark 9:24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

3.     God is not our first option for prayer and healing.  1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

4.     We seek doctors as our first option for a cure. Deuteronomy 4:29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

5.     We don’t make ourselves available for prayer and healing. Romans 12:1-2 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. 

It is completely baffling to me when people turn down prayer when it is obvious they are ill.  I can’t count the number of times people have rejected prayer.  I see people struggling with back pain, depression, cancer, plantar fasciitis, high blood pressure, immune diseases, nerve issues in the back/knees/shoulders, migraines, panic attacks, arthritis, circulation issues, anger, and many more who refuse to accept prayer and they continue to suffer. All of these can be healed or greatly minimized through prayer.

It is our responsibility as Believers in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and God to pray for the sick and diseased.  James 5:14-15 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save (heal) the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 

Prayer - Why are we not going to the altar for prayer?  Most often because 1. they don’t want people to think they are flawed when their sicknesses and diseases make it obvious, they are flawed, 2. the don’t believe they can be healed.  Perhaps we need to teach and encourage the flock to accept prayer.  Perhaps people would more apt to seek prayer if have a team praying for people outside the sanctuary before, during, and after church functions. Especially the seniors.

We must teach people that we all need prayer for our illnesses and it’s ok to confess our sins that have caused sickness and disease.  We can’t pray for people if we don’t know their sins. James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse (heal) us from all unrighteousness (sin). Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

We all have a responsibility to do what Jesus did in His ministry whether it be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors’ teachers, Ephesians 4:11, or any believer in Jesus Christ. We must get everyone involved without excuse.  We must pray without ceasing, (1 Thessalonians 5:17) until we are healed.

We are in a spiritual war with Satan and his fallen angers who hate God’s sons and daughters.  Their goal is to kill us.  People must stand up and be leaders in a prayer movement against the one who is trying to destroy us and our children. Matthew 21:22 And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

We must understand that there will always be a cause of our sicknesses and diseases because we are responders to our sinful thoughts that will affect us physically and emotionally leading to sickness and disease, 2 Corinthians 10:4-5  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  

Where do our thoughts come from? Is everything we think from ourselves? For Christians, some of our thoughts are from the God/Holy Spirit. Some of our thoughts are from us. Some of our thoughts are from the enemy – Satan.  Your body is a responder to who you are in thought.  It’s referred to as the min-body connection.  It’s not anything new to a believer.  God already told us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” Proverbs 23:7. God knew what He was talking about. It’s a biological truth that the things we think about and dwell on actually become part of who we are.  We will never get to the spiritual roots of disease if we don’t first understand the biology of how our minds affect our bodies.      

Prayer is a declaration/proclamation/decree that goes out to the three heavens.  We can speak (out loud) prayer into existence just as God did in Genises 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. Prayer is very powerful, but is rendered ineffective if we don’t pray. We can’t be healed if we don’t pray! 

The days of feel-good sermons and teachings must change.  We must hold each other accountable in the eyes of God and train up prayer warriors in the church to bring people out captivity as we wait for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ  

Lastly, I hear so many say “I want to be like Jesus.”  Then, do what Jesus did in His ministry.  It’s not an option! Mark 16:15-18 14 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; Don’t ignore this commandment!                                                                    Tony 12-2-2025

 

How to Come Out of Captivity

Satan and the fallen angles are evil demon spirits.  Their number one focus is to destroy God’s sons and daughters with sickness and disease.  We allow them to destroy us without a fight because we don’t pray or we don’t pray effectively, Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much, James 5:16. 

The Body of Jesus Christ does not address demon spirits and I want to know why not?  Jesus and the Bible addresses demons throughout the Bible.    The subject is ignored even though we struggle with demon spirits 24/7.  Demon spirits like bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, unloving spirt, deceiving spirt, spirit of infirmity, spirit of heaviness, death and dumb spirt, unclean spirits, and especially spirits of fear which does great damage.   God tells us He doesn’t bring a spirit of fear, For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind, 2 Timothy 1:7.  That leaves us with one origin, Satan and the fallen angels.  

Top 5 deadliest diseases (globally).  All have a fear factor.  How many times is fear in the bible?

Ischemic heart disease: Also known as coronary artery disease, this is the leading cause of death globally, resulting from the buildup of plaque in the arteries that supply blood to the heart. Stress/anxiety/fear related.

Stroke: This occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted, either by a burst blood vessel or a blocked artery. Stress/anxiety/fear related.

Lower respiratory infections: These infections include diseases like pneumonia and bronchitis, which can be caused by various pathogens and remain the deadliest communicable disease after COVID-19. Stress, anxiety, and fear related.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD):  This progressive lung disease includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, which cause long-term coughing and destroy lung tissue.  Stress/anxiety/fear related.

Trachea, bronchus, and lung cancers:  These respiratory cancers are a leading cause of death, with lung cancer being the deadliest form of cancer.  Compromised immune system due to bitterness causing cortisol drip that destroys soft tissue cells.

If fear causes the symptoms above, how should we pray?  Do we pray away the symptoms, treat the symptoms (doctors) or should we pray away the fears causing the symptoms?  It’s not rocket science.  It’s basic biblical doctrine?

Everyone is suffering because of a multitude of evil spirits causing sickness and disease.  Yet we don’t want to talk about evil demon spirts in or out of church.  Jesus regularly cast out evil spirts and instructed all to do the same, and these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons, Mark 16:17.  Casting out demons is not an option according to Jesus and His Great Commission.  We must pray out demons.

We don’t talk about evil demon spirits because it has become off limits for the Boby of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, every sickness and disease is caused by curses of disobedience (sin).  Satan and his fallen angels are there to destroy us with illnesses like:  20 “The Lord will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all that you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and until you perish quickly, because of the wickedness of your doings in which you have forsaken Me. 21 The Lord will make the plague cling to you until He has consumed you from the land which you are going to possess. 22 The Lord will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation, with severe burning fever, with the sword, with scorching, and with mildew; they shall pursue you until you perish. 23 And your heavens which are over your head shall be, bronze, and the earth which is under you shall be iron. 24 The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust; from the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed, Deuteronomy 28:20-24.  God allow this to happen because of our sin. How clear can these scriptures be?  Why do we fail to teach this truth to the Body of Jesus Christ?

We are in a spiritual warfare and we fail to teach each other how to battle against Satan and his fallen angels according to biblical scripture.  This spiritual battle requires us to identify sin and pray effectively throughout the day because Satan attacks us 24/7.  We must read the Bible so we know how to battle Satan and his fallen angles.  The Bible must be read consistently.  Not just once a week or once a month. 

We can’t be one with God if we are not one with His Word which shows us how to be one with God to eradicate sickness and disease.  We lose the spiritual battle because we fail to battle with our power and authority given to us:

Luke 9:1 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.  We are the disciples of the disciple of the disciples…….  We must do this!

Luke 10:19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.  Embrace this!

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Be confident!

Luke 10:20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”  We must do what God and Jesus instructed us to do and that is to bring us and others out of captivity of sickness and disease. 

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12. It is time for the Body of Jesus Christ to war against evil that is destroying us.  What believer or church is ready to accept the challenge and responsibility to bring people out of captivity from sickness and disease?  God allows us to make choices.  What say you?

Amen and Amen!                                                                                                                            Tony 14-13-2025