No one visits a healthcare facility for bad results right. Our arm can be completely inverted with bones protruding and we still somehow expect a positive prognosis. “Tell me it’s not broken doc!”, we might say. Then utter disappointment hits followed by moments of distress when they tell us it’s broken. This could have been the easiest and most accurate visit to Dr. Google you could have ever made but for whatever reason, it seems as if hearing what we already know of ourselves hits us a little harder when heard.
A staple procedure when visiting a healthcare facility for any reason is a blood pressure check. It’s expected and probably the most highly anticipated procedure given it provides immediate results. More times than not it was high the last time it was checked. We know we haven’t done anything to improve the results, yet we still anticipate our blood pressure to be in a healthy range because we were advised our last visit if it continues to be out of range, we are going to be prescribed medication. The standard protocol for giving a hypertension (high blood pressure) diagnosis is two or more elevated readings in a healthcare setting on at least 2 different days. Depending on age and health status you may only have annual check-ups and you may have a primary provider who isn’t that medication happy but if you keep going in their office visit after visit with no improvements then you are going to receive some type of prescription. The move more, eat better, cut back on sodium, lose weight (if you are heavier) and reduce stress prescription normally comes before they give us an actual pharmaceutical prescription.
As Christians some of us may decide to opt out and not accept any human given prescription and attempt to pray our blood pressure back in range. High blood pressure for the most part is a controllable health condition dictated by our lifestyle and adverse outcomes related to behavior can’t just be prayed away. Yes prayer works, and it can work in the instance of controlling our blood pressure but only if we know how to pray in relation to it.
Eating healthier, managing our weight, controlling our stress levels and increasing our physical activity levels are all valid lifestyle changes in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels but adopting these lifestyle changes can be difficult. Our body is still going to crave what it’s used to and consistently overcoming those desires is going to be easier said than done. Reducing sodium is going to be hard especially when you find out sodium is in everything except water. Managing stress is going to be hard when you have kids in sports or other competitive activities. The opposing teams’ parents are going to make sure of that. We need help overcoming ourselves and our natural desire to give into behaviors that consistently cause our blood pressure levels to be elevated.
Our prayers should be that He soften our hearts to His wisdom and strengthen us to act in obedience to His designed plan for our health. Designing our health, healing, and restoration is what He did for us. Acting in that wisdom is our responsibility. It’s time for us to consistently take responsibility and act according to His wisdom so we can reap the benefits of His designed of health and restoration.