Devotions @ 3 on 11-5-18

3 a.m. prayer:

Most gracious heavenly Father,

Proverbs continues – right vs. wrong. EASY STREET FOOL! “He who tills his land will have plenty of bread, but he who pursues worthless things lacks sense” (Proverbs 12:11). (The man who engages in positive, constructive work, like a farmer, will have his needs supplied. But the man who spends his time in worthless pursuits not only has an empty cupboard but also an empty head!) If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true! Only fools believe those worthless lies; wise men scoff at them. There is no free lunch or easy money! Get-rich-quick ideas typically leads to poverty. But, any lawful, legitimate job pursued diligently, with God’s rules applied, will work! Faithful, hard work is the secret to success! *****

//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 thoughts of suicide, we pray. Life is precious; don’t throw it away. Call out to Jesus, and pray.
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*>NEW Prayer Requests:   *>A dear lady and her 3 sisters, are praying and keeping vigil at the bedside of their precious mother who has PML Syndrome; a very serious condition which attacks the brain and destroys the myelin sheath. Too, they are trying to help their aged father deal with what is happening with his wife; he is distraught. Presently, the dear mother has trouble swallowing, is unable to move her right side, is blind in her right eye, and has cognitive decline. Sometimes she knows her loved ones and at other times not. Care is also being provided by Hospice, and we pray. >Thankfully, the suffering mother and her husband recently received salvation, and we rejoice, and for this dear family, we pray.

**<PREVIOUS Prayer Requests: <**Addiction: **<A dear mother prays for her son to be able to quit smoking. He has a hereditary condition which is further aggravated by smoking, and we pray. **>A dear mother prays for her son who is an alcoholic and is struggling to stay sober; he is also battling drug dependency, and we pray. **Aging:**>A friend prays for a friend’s 90 year old mother who sold her house and has recently moved to a temporary unit; she is hopeful to be in her permanent apartment before Christmas, and we pray.**<Battling Cancer: **>A friend prays for 4 of her friends who have cancer; 2 have stomach cancer and two have lung cancer, and we pray.**<Remembering the dear man who suffers with progressive kidney cancer. He had a recent PET scan and has consulted with his oncologist regarding treatment options. The treatments which are available are known to adversely affect blood pressure and would make his current medication ineffective; so it is difficult to know how to proceed. A nurse will be coming out for a visit today, the 5th; at which time those concerns and others will be addressed; too, the dear man’s energy level is very low, and we pray. **<We continue to lift up a dear lady who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer. She has been receiving chemotherapy, but her tumor markers are back up, and we pray. **<Battling Disease:**UPDATE NEEDED:>A stepmother prays for her stepdaughter who has been diagnosed with stage 4 liver fibrosis and may need a transplant. She had a biopsy done on Friday, and has an upcoming doctor’s appointment to find out the treatment plan, and we pray. **Caregivers:**<A dear lady holds down a full time job and often has to rearrange her work schedule, including travel plans, in order to help her aged parents, and we pray.**<Chronic Pain:<**Some have overall, unexplained pain, others have pain in specific areas of their bodies, and we pray. **<A sister prays for her sister who gets little or no relief from medications for her chronic pain, and we pray.**<Epilepsy: **< A sister worries about her 64 year old brother with epilepsy who is lonesome and prone to drinking excessively; however, he is doing well, hasn’t drank for a couple of weeks, and for continued abstinence, we pray. **<Family Affairs: **< A dear mother is experiencing problems with jealousy issues between her two adult daughters, and we pray. **Financial +:**<Continuing to remember the elderly couple whose life-savings account is in jeopardy, they have ongoing problems with dementia, and we pray. **Fur Babies**<A dear lady prays for her beloved fur baby. While chasing butterflies the sweet doggie fell off the deck and broke its leg in two places requiring emergency orthopedic surgery, and for continued healing, we pray.**//Grieving:**>This is a standing prayer. Although much time has passed, many continue to grieve over the deaths of their dearly beloved, departed family members. (Widows/widowers, parents, grandparents, siblings, and/or extended family) all silently missing the presence of their loved ones, and we pray. **<Health Issues/Problems: **<One among us is having recurring muscle spasms in her leg, and we pray.**<A dear widow is having trouble with her knee and has an appointment with the specialist next month, and we pray. **<An aunt prays for her niece who continues to have elevated blood pressure, and other symptoms. She has an appointment to see her doctor tomorrow, November 6th. She also has an appointment to see the specialist on December 4th, and we pray. **<A dear lady had genetic testing on October 30th, to find out if she has inherited the rare gene, linked to cancer and numerous conditions, which runs rampant in her family. Nervously she waits, but it takes about 3 weeks for the results, and we pray. **<A dear lady prays for others but has multiple health issues herself, and we pray. **<Continuing to remember a dear lady with severe degenerative disease. She has begun physical and aquatic therapy; but she continues to have much pain. She has an upcoming sleep study and will be picking up equipment for that this week, November 7th. She has an appointment with a nerve doctor/orthopedic surgeon today, November 5th, and we pray. **<Among us is a widow who continues to suffer from loneliness and chronic bouts of Diverticulitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and has difficulty sleeping, and we pray. **<Heart Related +: **<A dear lady who holds down a full time job prays for her aged father whose implanted defibrillator had been showing his heart getting shocked back into rhythm; however, no evidence of that at present. He cancelled all of his appointments, but has now been rescheduled, and we pray. **<A wife continues to pray for her dear 80 year old husband whose heart function is at only 20%. After a heart catherization the dear man was told by the doctors that nothing more can be done for him. As a result, he is very depressed, discouraged, and we pray. **>A dear lady has been diagnosed with some heart abnormalities, and is facing more testing to determine if there are any blockages. Two weeks ago she had more tests which showed there is moderate plaque and she has very high cholesterol levels which puts her in danger of a stroke. She was prescribed medication and has to maintain a strict diet, and is to return for more testing on December 15th. Her doctor has also ordered a sleep apnea test. Furthermore, she will be seeing an orthopedic specialist today, November 5th, about her shoulder pain and immobility in her right arm, and we pray.**>UPDATE NEEDED:>A sister prays for her brother who has an inoperable tumor near his aorta, and we pray. **<A dear lady endures much verbal abuse from her fatally ill husband who has a bad heart, and we pray. **<Help Needed:**<A dear lady, whose husband has recently passed away, desperately needs to find a job with insurance benefits, and we pray.**<Homebound: **>One among us is disabled due to a previous stroke. Her leg is improving with less blistering; however, she continues to have inflammation and swelling, and for continued healing, we pray. **<Identity Crisis: **Update:>A dear, Christian grandmother continues to pray for her 16 year old granddaughter who is struggling with gender identity; the granddaughter is still wallowing in that lifestyle. However, it has affected the entire immediate and extended family; some have begun, attending Wednesday morning Bible study. The granddaughter’s behavior has worsened, so much so, that her mother’s eyes were opened to her need for You, Lord. That mother has now gone to church twice with the grandmother. The mother had planned to go again to church yesterday, went instead on a family outing; but does say she will go to church next Sunday; unfortunately, her husband has no interest in attending church. For continued healing and restoration of this family, we pray. **<Infections/Injections/Injuries: **UPDATE NEEDED:>A dear wife prays for her husband who has been hospitalized after a bad fall. Tests revealed there was bleeding on the brain; a CT scan showed a mass behind the pharynx. A biopsy was done, but the surgeon has not defined what it might be. The surrounding tissue is swollen and infected. Cultures could take up to 2 weeks for the results. The dear man continues to vomit which is likely a result of the head injury, and we pray. **<A dear lady had to take her 90 year old mother to the ER after a fall. Thankfully, nothing was broken, but the mother was diagnosed as having a bad sprain and needs to rest, and we pray. **<A dear man continues to pray for his 84 year old friend and neighbor who is still recovering at home after suffering paralysis in his right leg, now using a walker, moving very slowly and has to work very hard to move his legs, and for continued healing, we pray.**<An elderly woman who has many health problems asks prayer for her ‘whole body’, and we pray. **<One among us continues to have much back pain, difficulty walking, suffers from high blood pressure, but is not a candidate for risky surgery. Her only relief is through medications and physical therapy. Much of her treatment is not covered by insurance which puts a financial strain and adds more worry on this dear lady, and we pray. **Life’s Needs: **<A dear mother prays for her son who has taken his entrance exams to get into college;, and for good results we wait, and we pray.**<A dear man asks others to pray for him as he humbly strives to transform into a better person, and we pray. **<Life’s Problems:**<A dear man asked prayer after responding to an ad which turned out to be a scam! However, he still needs a job, and we pray.**< The parents of a precious 2 1/2 year old girl are concerned that she is not yet talking. They are consulting a specialist, and we pray. **A teenage boy is struggling with stress at home because of his father’s anger issues, which are also, adversely, affecting his mother and his girlfriend. The father has also been having memory problems along with other issues, and he has an appointment today to see the doctor, and we pray.**<One among us has been diagnosed with ADHD. While she manages to hold down a full time job with long hours, it has been very rough on her. She continues to have a heavy workload which is becoming heavier with increased hours, but it’s really taking a toll on her. She continues to suffer from fatigue and mental stress and is unsure whether or not she can hold up under the pressures of her demanding job. Although she would rather not, she may have to consider looking for another job, and we pray.**<Making Progress: **< The dear couple who stepped out on faith, to ‘begin again’ continues in remodeling their newly acquired older home. They have also been working hard to build up their online business and are pleased to announce that they have seen an increase in their online business, and are hopeful to be able to pay off one of their credit cards before Christmas, and for continued success, we pray. **<Marital Crisis: **<A young, unchurched, married couple, with an infant son, is now divorced, and for that situation, we pray.*<A dear man is having issues with his wife in deciding what to do about his current job situation; therein exists some unspoken needs, and we pray.**> There are at least 7 couples who are having difficulty in their marriages, and we pray. **One of the couples is scheduled to go to counseling this coming Thursday, November 8th, and we pray. **<Marriage Plans: **<A dear couple has set a wedding date which is a year away, and we pray. **<Mental Health+: **Update:>A dear grandmother continues to pray for her 20 year old granddaughter who has had mental problems and is still working at a strip club. The grandmother is a believer and is still trying to build a better relationship with her granddaughter, to hopefully, set up a time to meet with her, and for continued communication between the two, we pray. >Also the grandmother asks prayer for the young lady’s parents who are involved in a cult, and we pray. **<Respiratory: **<Many are suffering with symptoms from colds, flu, and/or allergies, and we pray.
**<Surgeries/Prior:**<A dear man prays for his friend who is in ICU after a quadruple bypass on Thursday, November 1st, and for continued healing, we pray.**< Remembering the dear 49 year old woman who had a total hysterectomy on Wednesday, October 31st, she is doing well; has a post op appointment today and is hopeful the catheter will be removed; she is expected to be off work for 3-8 weeks, and for continued healing, we pray. **Remembering the elderly lady who had a successful Bi-femoral artery bypass on the 17th; she is doing well; the clinic has been amazed at her progress. She is to continue going back for another month, and for continued healing, we pray. **<Remembering the dear man who had a 4th surgery on his eye on the 15th. He may have to have a 5th surgery since he is still having double vision from that eye; will see a specialist on November 12th. Too, the dear man has Afib and will be consulting with the heart doctor and the end of the month. For answers and continued healing, we pray. **>Remembering the dear man who had knee surgery on September 11th, he remains hopeful that the continued physical therapy will help; but now has a bursa sac on the outside of his knee and is having a difficult time bending his knee. He will again be seeing his surgeon at the end of the month, and for continued healing, we pray.
**<Surgeries/Upcoming: **<A dear lady who has suffered with knee pain and injections is planning to have knee replacement surgery, and has an appointment to consult with a specialist on the 29th, 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. **>This morning a dear lady is traveling out of state on a work-related trip and will be gone almost 2 weeks, and for her safety, we pray. **<Another one among us is also making plans to leave for out of state on the 26th. She and her husband do this every year; last year they had a terrible accident on their way home; we certainly don’t want a repeat!, and we pray.
For these and the many unspoken requests we pray all in Jesus name. Lord bless our homes. AMEN