Devotions @ 3 on 9-21-18

3 a.m. prayer:

Most gracious heavenly Father,

Continuing in the good book, out of Proverbs, with the comparisons of right vs. wrong. GRAB HOLD OF RICHES or RIGHTEOUSNESS! “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death” (Proverbs 11:4). (In time or eternity, riches cannot prevent the wrath of God, wealth is of no profit. In the here and now, righteousness is a safeguard against premature death. On the day one faces death, only those who are clothed in the righteousness of God will be rescued from eternal death.) The place of greatest peace and provision is daily walking in God’s will for our lives. *****

//Standing Prayer: Always remembering our country, for restoration, our continued peace, and freedom; we ask that You grant wisdom and guidance to those who are in authority, and we pray; and for the protection of our men and women who are on the battlefield, we pray. Lord, heal our land, we pray. There are people in other parts of the world who need protection and relief as they are surrounded by war and poverty; also in need of rescue are Christians who are being persecuted, and we pray.
And so we begin, “Just for Today”: For anyone who has to impart bad news to another today, we pray.
*>NEW Prayer Requests: *> A family is grieving the loss of a dear man who died yesterday of a massive heart attack, and we pray. *> In the news: another senseless shooting by a deranged gunman – A WOMAN gunman! multiple people killed yesterday morning, and for the surviving victims, we pray. *>More news: Storms are now occurring across the Midwest, and we pray. *> A dear lady is in need of foot surgery; however, it’s delayed because of the pain she is experiencing in her hip. Recent x-rays show bursitis and arthritis, and we pray. *>A family is making arrangements for a memorial gathering on Sunday to pay tribute to a dear 86 year old uncle who passed away a couple of weeks ago, and we pray.
**<PREVIOUS Prayer Requests: **Addiction:<A dear mother prays for her son who is an alcoholic and struggling to stay sober, and we pray. **<Battling Cancer: **<A dear wife prays for her husband who has a rare appendix cancer, now has fluid around the lungs; this dear man is suffering beyond words with no relief in sight, and we pray.**<Continuing to remember a dear man with progressive kidney cancer who is very fatigued, and we pray. **<We continue to lift up a dear lady who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and we pray. **<Biblical Issues:**<After a family crisis, a dear lady continues to encourage her son-in-law to get himself and his family back in church, and we pray.**<Chronic Pain: <** Some have overall, unexplained pain, others have pain in specific areas of their bodies, and we pray. **<Divorce is so bitter:< **A dear grandmother continues to pray for her grandchildren who are being exposed to an immoral living arrangement, and we pray. **<Epilepsy: **<A sister continues to worry about her 64 year old brother with epilepsy who is drinking excessively, and we pray. **< Financial +:**<A wife prays for an upcoming benefit on the 29th to raise money for her dying husband, and we pray. **<Continuing to remember the elderly couple whose life-savings account is in jeopardy, and we pray. **Grieving:<**<A dear widow is going through a rough time, is still missing her dearly beloved husband, and feels so alone, not wanting to do anything, and we pray.**<Health Problems: **Update:<A dear lady who has been recently diagnosed with severe degenerative disease had more x-rays and advanced blood tests. She is being referred to a doctor who specializes in the study of nerves. Also, will be having a sleep study, and we pray. **< Among us is a grieving widow who continues to suffer from loneliness and chronic bouts of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and has difficulty sleeping, and we pray. **<NEED AN UPDATE: A dear man with Type 1 diabetes and vascular dementia has been undergoing tests for his debilitating headaches. A previous MRI revealed some blocked sinuses. Another MRI was done yesterday to check the back of his head, neck and upper spine to determine the cause of his severe headaches, and we pray. **<Update: A 20 year old man who has had deep muscular, skeletal problems has been having physical therapy treatments and other testing. Recent findings have shown an infection in his intestines which will require him to be treated with an expensive antibiotic. He has also been experiencing debilitating pain in the chest, left arm and leg; has an appointment to see a cardiologist on October 3rd to find out whether any of his symptoms are related to his heart. The cost is all out-of-pocket and adds much financial strain to the family, and we pray.**<Heart Related +:**<A sister prays for her brother who has an inoperable tumor near his aorta which doctors believe is benign; won’t get a second opinion until he changes insurance at year end, and we pray. **< A dear lady endures much verbal abuse from her fatally ill husband who has a bad heart, and we pray. **<Homebound: **<One among us is disabled due to a previous stroke, and we pray. **Identity Crisis: **<A dear grandmother prays for her 16 year old granddaughter who is struggling with gender identity, and we pray. **<Infections/Injections/Injuries:**<Update: One among us saw a podiatrist yesterday for pain in her ankle; x-rays showed no broken bones; doctor recommended shoes with more support. Too, she had an infected toenail which was removed, and for healing, we pray. **<One among us continues to have much back pain, difficulty walking, and suffers from high blood pressure. Her only temporary relief is through medications. She has begun receiving laser treatments twice a week. On the 25th she is scheduled for a needle injection in her back. Much of her treatment is not covered by insurance which puts a financial strain and worry on this elderly lady, and we pray. **<One among us continues to suffer from tendonitis in her left heel which is being helped by wearing a brace, and for continued healing, we pray.**<Job Market: **< One in our group has been working with a recruiter to gain suitable employment with benefits; her husband’s insurance runs out in February, and we pray. **<Making Progress: **<The dear couple who stepped out on faith several months ago, to ‘begin again’ are continuing in remodeling their newly acquired older home. They are working very hard at building their online business, and for continued success, we pray.**<Marital Crisis:**<There are at least 3 couples who are having difficulty in their marriages, and we pray. **<Marriage Plans: **<A dear couple has set a wedding date which is a year away, and we pray. **<Mental Health: **<Update: Continuing to remember a 23 year old man who was being treated for mental disturbances; he is out of the hospital, on a new medication, doing great, and we rejoice, and for continued healing, we pray.  **<A a 20 year old woman who had been in treatment at a mental hospital is out on her own but, not making good choices, and we pray.**<Pregnancy Crisis: **<A dear grandmother prays for her unborn grandson, not due to be born until October 9th. Previous ultrasounds showed abnormalities in the baby’s kidneys; however, another ultrasound was done which showed much improvement, and for the continued development and health of this precious, unborn baby, we pray. And for the father of this unborn baby who struggles with memories surrounding the death of his first child, we pray. **<Respiratory: <**Many are suffering with symptoms from colds, flu, and/or allergies, and we pray. **<Storm Disaster: **<Dangerous times: flooding is still a major issue in many areas along the Eastern shoreline; the worst may be yet to come, and we pray.
**<Surgeries/Prior: **<One is healing from cataract surgery, another from back surgery and two had knee surgeries, and for continued healing, we pray.
**<Surgeries/Upcoming: **<NEED AN UPDATE: A dear wife prays for her husband who has many health issues, and is still waiting for a surgery date in the removal of a cancerous growth from his nose,  and we pray. **<A dear sister prays for her brother who is scheduled for cataract surgery in October, and we pray. **<Continuing to remember the elderly lady who is battling health problems, has blocked arteries, and an open wound on her heel; she is experiencing much pain and having difficulty sleeping. She goes weekly to the wound clinic, and to the pain clinic for treatment. Surgery is scheduled on October 17th for a Bi-femoral artery bypass, and we pray. **< A dear lady suffers much pain due to bone on bone in her hip, also has severe curvature of the spine. Surgery for hip replacement is scheduled for November 28th, and we pray.
//Travel Mercies: **<>This is an ongoing prayer request for all who are on the highways and byways. Lord, we ask that You daily keep our travelers safe from harm, and we pray.
For these and the many unspoken requests we pray all in Jesus name. Lord bless our homes. AMEN