Devotions @ 3 on 11-9-18

3 a.m. prayer:

Most gracious heavenly Father,

From the Bible’s book of Proverbs: WISE and NOT! “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel” (Proverbs 12:15). (You can’t tell a fool anything. He knows everything and will not listen. But a wise man will welcome advice. He recognizes that it is impossible for one person to see all sides of a question.) Every fool thinks he is right! One’s own heart naturally rebels against any advice or ideas contrary to his own. The single best measure of wisdom is one’s ability to crush their own thoughts and receive instruction. Each man/woman must come to God and Scripture in total trust and submission. Fools listen to their hearts; wise men consult God’s word. Fools reject other’s instructions and warnings; wise men love and seek them. “Do not be wise in your own eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7). He shall direct your paths. *****

//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.

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And so we begin, “Just for Today”: For anyone who is struggling emotionally, we pray.
*>NEW Prayer Requests: *>A dear lady had surgery for the removal of a hernia, but there was no hernia! She is sore from the incision, otherwise okay, and for continued healing, we pray. *>A sister prays for her 79 year old brother who is having a heart catherization on Monday, November 12th. If there is a major blockage he will go straight to surgery, and 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. Unfortunately, the man recently relapsed worse than previously thought, and we pray. **Aging:**>A friend prays for a friend’s 90 year old mother who sold her house and has settled into a temporary unit. She is on the waiting list at a senior living facility, and was hopeful to be in her permanent apartment before Christmas, but it may not be possible until after the first of the year, and we pray.**<Battling Cancer and/or Other Serious Disorders:**<A dear, elderly woman who was recently admitted to the hospital has now been diagnosed with brain cancer and has been moved to a Hospice facility, and we pray. **<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. They are also trying to help and comfort their aged father deal with what is happening with his wife. Care for the dear mother is also being provided by Hospice, and we pray.**>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; it has been decided that because of conflicting notes between the specialists, he will be changing doctors. The dear man’s energy level is very low, and we pray;+ his sons are having a very difficult time with all of this, and we pray. **<We continue to lift up a dear lady who has stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and we pray. **<Battling Disease:**<A stepmother prays for her stepdaughter who has been diagnosed with stage 4 liver fibrosis. The biopsy was inconclusive, so now an endoscope will be done on December 20th to determine whether or not it’s weight related, or if the vessel or vein is enlarged or scarred, in which case she might need a transplant. The dear stepdaughter is very afraid of a definite answer , and we pray. **Caregivers:**<A dear lady holds down a full time job and oftentimes 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, 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, the little dog had orthopedic surgery to repair a broken leg, 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 passed out recently; unsure why. She is wanting to find a new doctor, and so we pray. **<One among us is having recurring muscle spasms in her leg, and we pray. **<An aunt prays for her niece who continues to have elevated blood pressure, and other symptoms. She saw her doctor on November 6th. An echo cardiogram is being scheduled and some more bloodwork. The doctor has instructed her to keep her sodium down, under 2400. She is striving to be patient, and to slow down. 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. She saw the nerve doctor/orthopedic surgeon and is being scheduled in the upcoming weeks for an MRI, 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 prays for her aged father who has an implanted defibrillator. He has some upcoming tests, and we pray. **<A wife continues to pray for her dear 80 year old husband whose heart function is at only 20%, nothing more can be done by the doctors. As a result, he is very depressed, discouraged, and we pray. **<A dear lady has been diagnosed with some heart abnormalities. Tests have shown that there is moderate plaque and very high cholesterol levels which puts her in danger of a stroke. She has been put on medication, is to maintain a strict diet, and return for more testing on December 15th. Her doctor has also ordered a sleep apnea test. She saw an orthopedic specialist, on November 5th, about her shoulder pain and immobility in her right arm; and was diagnosed with a strained or pulled rotator cuff. She was given an injection in her joint and was started on physical therapy. She is to see her doctor again in 6 weeks and if not improved will have an MRI, 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: **>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 which has affected the entire immediate and extended family; they have begun attending 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 and even though she missed last Sunday, says she will go to church this coming Sunday; unfortunately, her husband has no interest in attending church. For continued healing and restoration of this family, we pray. **<Infections/Injections/Injuries: **<A sister prays for her brother who was so sick he ended up in the emergency room. He is now at home and feeling better; was diagnosed with a virus, and for continued healing, we pray.**<A dear wife has been praying for her husband who is still in the hospital after a bad fall which resulted in bleeding on the brain. A CT scan showed a mass behind the pharynx; awaiting results of a biopsy which could take up to 2 weeks. Tests have shown he also has some staph in the nasal passages. The dear man suffers from vascular dementia and PTSD; so the wife stays in the hospital with him which, obviously, puts a strain on her , and we pray. **<A dear man continues to pray for his 84 year old friend and neighbor who suffers from paralysis in his right leg, 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, and suffers from high blood pressure. Because surgery would be too risky, her only relief is through medications and physical therapy; much of which is not covered by insurance resulting in a financial strain for this dear lady, and we pray. **<Just Whispering, “Jesus”: **<A dear mother prays for her mentally challenged adult son whose bad behavior may result in him getting evicted from his apartment, and we pray. **<A dear mother prays for her adult daughter who is experiencing extreme fatigue, working a 3rd shift job, and unable to get up to care for an infant daughter during the day, 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 is still in need of 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. **<One among us has been diagnosed with ADHD, holds down a full time job working long hours, and is suffering from fatigue and mental stress. She is unsure whether or not she can continue to 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 hopeful to be able to pay off one of their credit cards before Christmas, and for continued success, we pray. **<Marital Crisis:**< 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 several 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+: **<A dear lady prays for her friend whose grandson tried to commit suicide. He has been admitted to a mental health facility, and we pray. +and for his family, we pray. **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 Christian grandmother is trying to build a better relationship with her granddaughter through continued communication, we pray. >Also the grandmother asks prayer for the young lady’s parents who are involved in a cult, and we pray. **<Respiratory:**<For the many who are suffering with symptoms from colds, flu, and/or allergies, we pray.
**<SURGERIES/PRIOR:**<Remembering the dear 49 year old woman who had a total hysterectomy on Wednesday, October 31st, she is doing well. She is still on antibiotics because of blood in the urine, and has an appointment to go back to the doctor in two weeks for a re-check of her bladder. 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 progressing well. She is to continue going back to the clinic for another month, and for continued healing, we pray. **<Remembering the dear man who had a 4th surgery on his eye; he may have to undergo 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 at the end of the month. For answers and continued healing, we pray. **UPDATE:>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 painful bursa sac on the outside of his knee. Due to the swelling he 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 wife prays for her husband as he prepares to have left knee replacement surgery next week, November 14th, and we pray. **>A dear widow is scheduled for a hip replacement in April, and we pray. **<Another dear lady who has suffered with knee pain and endured painful injections is planning to have knee replacement surgery. She 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. **<A dear lady is making plans to leave for out of state on the 26th. She and her husband do this every year, and for that upcoming trip, we pray. *>A dear lady is out of state on a work-related trip; she will be gone almost 2 weeks during which time she will be traveling, and for her continued safety, we pray.
For these and the many unspoken requests we pray all in Jesus name. Lord bless our homes. AMEN