Prayer for Sydney

Being a father of 2 young sons (4 and 2 years old), I have a keen sensitivity to matters regarding children. When Blake, my oldest, had to be hospitalized over a year ago and received an IV line into his little wrist, I could hardly bare the thought of my son being put through the ordeal. I argued with the nurses regarding whether it was necessary. Ultimately, I lost the argument, Blake got stuck and I nearly passed out.

Lena Brown emailed me today with a prayer request for a young girl going through a horrific ordeal. She has been battling neuroblastoma cancer for 3 years now. She had been in remission for 2 years. She had a lot of routine tests run last week and the test results were devastating. She has cancer back in her bone marrow, her spine, her pelvis, and a couple of places on her head. She will be starting chemo back tomorrow, but this is just a way of trying to keep it from spreading until they can come up with something else, which will be some sort of clinical study that may or may not help her. The one they are leaning towards is a study out of Vermont which will be a chemical they add to a normal chemo mixture and administer to her for a week then normal chemo the rest of the month. Only four patients have tried this study, two are still doing the treatments, two have passed away. There is nothing more the Dr's can do.

She feels great and is so full of life. The family didn't have a clue that this was back in her little system, because she laughs and cuts up all the time. She even comes out of an adult strength chemo session with a smile and asking for chicken nuggets. Her will power and determination to live far surpasses anything you have ever seen.

If there was ever a worthy cause for prayer, Sydney is it. I pray that God blesses you for your prayers regarding Sydney.

Comfort

Over the past 3 months, Debi and I have talked about how the Amish have got it right in terms of denying themselves worldly pleasures and conveniences and being rewarded by a richer family life and spiritual life.
A fellow blogger responded to the Gospel For Asia article and commented that he is currently serving with GFA in New Zealand. I checked out his blogspot and saw an article titled "Comfort" that really spoke to me. I thought I'd share it with you. Check out his whole site, there are some really remarkable photos and articles. Enjoy.
Here is a quote from the "Comfort" article....
“Comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house as guest, and then becomes a host, and then master. Ay and it becomes a tamer, and with hook and scourge makes puppets of your larger desires. Though it’s hands are silken, it’s heart is of iron. Verily the lust for comfort murders the passions of the soul, and walks grinning to the funeral” - Kahil Gibran

Who Do You Serve?

Over the past few years, I've developed a much better concept of what hymnists, poets and song writers have meant when they wrote words to the effect that "This world is not my home" or "I'm just a pilgrim in a foreign land." As my walk has become closer to Christ's (granted I'm still way off), it has become more and more evident that I don't fit in here. This world is not rooting for me, and my welcome has long worn thin. Things of this world make less and less sense to me because my perspective on life has become more Kingdom focused and less world focused. Thus, the world perspective just does not make a whole lot of sense to me. (And when it does make sense, it usually indicates that I wandering the wrong direction.)
Once again, I am referencing Alistair Begg's daily devotional. Today, he discussed citizenship and Ephesians 2:19.
This devotional struck with me with the thought that the Christian Walk is not just something that is "a good idea", "nice to do" or merely morally correct. If you view your citizenship as being of heaven and your ruler as being God, then you're at risk of treason if you are bowing down to or serving someone or something else.
Who are you serving today? Personally, I can only say, "Thank God for Jesus."

"Pray For Us."

Allistair Begg's daily devotion today reminds us to pray for our pastors. In doing so, he cites I Thes 5:25 where Paul states "Brothers, pray for us." Begg goes on to relate how pastors/ministers are under amazing strains and pressures emotionally, spiritually, and often physically. Thus, our prayers are greatly coveted by them.
Additionally, it was pointed out at last years Prayer Conference that The Church of Satan teaches its members to bring their petitions against pastors, the government and pastors families. So, when you are praying for your pastor, remember his family as well.

E.M. Bounds - About Prayer

I have been praying for real for only the past 3-4 years. Over the past 3 years, I have developed a real appreciation for people who exhibit remarkable faith and/or remarkable gifts that were obviously God issued. That being said, one of my newest heroes is E.M. Bounds.

Here is a sample of some of his writings. I find his writing to be stirring, educational and containing an assumption that the reader wants to serve God with his whole heart.

"IN any study of the principles,
and procedure of prayer,
of its activities and enterprises,
first place, must, of necessity, be given to faith.
It is the initial quality in the heart of any man
who essays to talk to the Unseen.
He must, out of sheer helplessness,
stretch forth hands of faith.
He must believe, where he cannot prove.
In the ultimate issue, prayer is simply faith,
claiming its natural yet marvellous prerogatives --
faith taking possession of its illimitable inheritance.
True godliness is just as true, steady, and persevering
in the realm of faith as it is in the province of prayer.
Moreover: when faith ceases to pray, it ceases to live.

Faith does the impossible
because it brings God to undertake for us,
and nothing is impossible with God.
How great -- without qualification or limitation --
is the power of faith!
If doubt be banished from the heart,
and unbelief made stranger there,
what we ask of God shall surely come to pass,
and a believer hath vouchsafed to him
'whatsoever he saith.'"

Here is a great link to some excerpts of his writings: EM Bounds writings.
And if you liked that, here is a link to some of his complete writings.

Full Throttle?

Time for more confession. Another accurate description of me is "full throttle." No, I'm not a bundle of energy, but whatever I'm doing, I'm usually doing with laser beam focus with total disregard for what's going on in the rest of the world.
When I am geared up and serving the Lord, I am sold out for him. When I am geared up and working on a work related project, I am foaming at the mouth until it's done. When I am playing, I play hard. And when I am being a self-indulgent sloth, I do that with amazing zeal and with superhuman endurance.
Alistair Begg's daily devotion smacked me between the eyes today.

Praying The Names of God

Prayer Conference speaker Dr. Bud Fray shared with us that it is God's character to speak. Additionally, God reveals his character through his names. One can greatly enrich a prayer-life by recognizing, understanding and utilizing the different names of God while praying.
Here are two good sources to review to assist you in this regard:
AllAboutGod.com: Names of God Reveal Him

Praying the Names of God: A Daily Guide By Ann Spangler