Hi, I'm Jim Denison with Dennis Informed, and this is the Daily Article for Friday, September 21, 2018.

A new Harvard study investigated the health and mental health of children and teenagers who were raised with religious or spiritual practices.

What they found was fascinating.

Those who attended religious services at least once a week as children or teens

were about 18% more likely to report being happier in their 20s than those who never attended

services. They were almost 30% more likely to do volunteer work and 33% less likely to use drugs

in their 20s. In addition, people who prayed and meditated individually

on a daily basis had more life satisfaction, were better able to process emotions, and were more

forgiving. They were less likely to have sex at an earlier age and to have a sexually transmitted

disease. The Forbes article reporting on the study concludes, quote, some of the fundamental

habits that humans have been doing for eons, praying and meditating, might actually have a lot more

value than we tend to think, end quote. By God's design, a divine human partnership is essential to

human flourishing. Consider an example. The future of Israel was in jeopardy. A massive

Midianite army numbering 135,000 troops, was ready to annihilate the Jewish forces. In Judges

7, Gideon mustered 32,000 soldiers, but the Lord led him to dismiss all but 300. God's purpose was to show the Israelites that their

deliverance came from the Lord and not from their hand. Armies in the ancient world conveyed signals

through trumpets, usually ramshorns. They often marched at night to the light of torches.

Gideon's original army had 300 such trumpets and torches.

The torches were carried inside clay jars so as not to alert the enemy, then the jars

were broken when the assault was to begin.

The trumpets were used to convey orders to the troops.

Gide's forces advanced on the Midianite army, each carrying a torch in one hand and a trumpet

...