Devotions @ 3 on 11-17-18

3 a.m. prayer:

Most gracious heavenly Father,

Proverbs continues: righteous vs. wicked. IT’S EASY TO SPOT YOU in a CROWD! “A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly” (Proverbs 12:23). (A prudent man doesn’t go around showing off how much he knows. He modestly conceals his learning. But you aren’t long in the presence of fools before they reveal their foolishness.) A wise man can keep his mouth shut even when he knows more on a subject than anyone in the group. A fool cannot keep his mouth shut, even when he basically knows nothing, for his heart demands that he keep on with foolishness. A prudent man is wise and generally reserved. He knows when to do what, and how to do it. He has knowledge but does not easily share it. He speaks when he is spoken to but saves his opinion until asked, then cuts his words in half. He knows that it is better to listen than to speak. New Testament scripture says, “This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger, for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20).  That man is easy to spot in a crowd, for he will be carefully listening more than easily talking. But a fool has a fire in his heart that sets his tongue ablaze! This fire comes from hell (see James 3:1-12). The fool is also easy to spot in a crowd, for he cannot stop talking, and his words are obnoxious chattering of foolishness. Jesus said, all words come from the heart. “The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil, for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart” (Luke 6:45). A fool does not delight in understanding, but only in airing his mistaken opinions, blurting out words that sound like wisdom to him alone, and displaying his ignorance. A fool quickly vents all his anger, but a wise man holds it back. A prudent man conceals his knowledge until the right opportunity to bring it forth presents itself. One can pick them out in a crowded room. Who are the prudent? Who are the fools?*****

//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 seeking wisdom from Above, we pray.

*>NEW Prayer Requests: *>We continue to remember those in the southwest where wildfires have killed so many people, 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; 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 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 has brain cancer and is in a Hospice facility, 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. He has changed doctors and has begun a new treatment.  The dear man’s energy level continues to be very low; some days are better than others, 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. There have been no changes in her bloodwork or MRI; she continues to have chemotherapy, and other than weakness she is doing fairly well, and we pray. <**Battling Disease:**<A stepmother prays for her stepdaughter who has been diagnosed with stage 4 liver fibrosis. 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, 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: UPDATE**<A dear lady prays for her beloved fur baby, the little dog had orthopedic surgery to repair a broken leg. The cast was taken off and staples were removed on Thursday which left the area raw; making it necessary for the pet to wear a cone for another week, 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. **>A dear lady and her 3 sisters need our prayers as they continue to grieve over the death of their dear 75 year old mother who passed away into glory on Wednesday after a long battle with PML Syndrome. A memorial service is planned for November 24th. Remembering, too, their dear father during this difficult time, and we pray.**<Health Issues/Problems:
*<A dear lady prays for her 90+ year old aunt who is in the hospital with internal bleeding. She has already received 3 units of blood, and for the bleeding to stop, we pray.**<A dear 70 year old man was diagnosed with pneumonia. He is presently on 2 different antibiotics, 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. She has an appointment to see the specialist on December 4th, 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 continues to have much pain. She saw the nerve doctor/orthopedic surgeon and an MRI was done. She will return for results on December 10th, 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: **>Another dear sister prays for her brother who has an inoperable tumor near his aorta, has been receiving successful, monthly injections in which to shrink the tumor. His latest scan showed no growth, and for continued healing, we pray.**>A dear lady prays for her aged father who has an implanted defibrillator; he has some tests next week, 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. She was put on cholesterol medication, is to maintain a strict diet which she is working very hard on, and is to return for more testing on December 15th.  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. So far, she has completed 3 treatments, but pain in her shoulder is still waking her up during the night. 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. For this situation and for her suffering husband, we pray. **<Homebound: **>One among us is disabled due to a previous stroke. Her leg is much better, the blistering has stopped; however, it remains red and rough, but no pain, burning or itching, 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.  The granddaughter’s behavior has worsened, so much so, that her mother’s eyes were opened to her need for You, Lord. That mother is now attending church and is moving ahead spiritually; unfortunately, her husband still has no interest in attending church. The grandmother is looking forward to the holidays when she will have the opportunity to visit with all of them and share her faith. For continued healing and restoration of this family, we pray. **<Infections/Injections/Injuries: **>A dear wife continues to pray for her husband who had bleeding on the brain, and a mass behind the pharynx. Still awaiting pathology results from the biopsy, which could take up to 2 weeks. Doctors have indicated he may have an infection in his bones. He remains extremely weak and has a poor appetite. Too, the dear man has long suffered from vascular dementia, which is worsening, and PTSD; so the wife has much with which to contend , 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, is doing much better, 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. The dear lady is hopeful the pool at her winter residence will offer some relief. She will be gone until the month of May, and we pray. **<Just Whispering, “Jesus”: **>A wife prays for her dear husband who has been dealing with anger, plus other issues. The doctor put him on a different medication, and we pray.**<A dear mother prays for her mentally challenged adult son whose bad behavior may result in him getting evicted from his apartment, there are extenuating circumstances, 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; there are extenuating circumstances, 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 strives to transform into a better person, and we pray. **<Life’s Problems: **<One among us has been diagnosed with ADHD, holds down a full time job, 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 very 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 many 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 grandmother continues to pray for her 20 year old granddaughter who has had mental problems and was working at a strip club, but is no longer there. She has moved away from the area to dwell with her brother and his Christian wife who live out of state. The grandmother is trying to build a better relationship with her granddaughter through continued communication by staying in touch, and 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: 

**UPDATE:>Two sisters prayed for their 79 year old brother who had open heart/bypass surgery yesterday, November 16th. He had 5 bypasses; the surgery went well, and we rejoice, and for continued healing, we pray. **<A dear wife prayed for her husband who had a successful left knee replacement surgery on, Wednesday, November 14th. now at home, going for physical therapy, and for continued healing, we pray.
**<A dear wife prays for her husband who returned to work this week after knee surgery which was done on August 29th. He continues to have problems with his knee; hopefully a recent injection will help, and we pray.  *>Remembering the dear 49 year old woman who had a total hysterectomy on Wednesday, October 31st, she is doing well; not having to use any pain medication, but is still experiencing some bladder issues and will be returning to the doctor this coming Monday for follow up. 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; however, there continues to be some minor problems with the wound on her foot. She is to continue going back to the clinic for another month, and for continued healing, we pray. **>A dear man is still recovering from “not so successful”, numerous eye surgeries, nothing more can be done at this time for his double vision. He also has Afib and will be consulting with the heart doctor at 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 because of 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:****<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**>A dear widow is scheduled for a hip replacement in April, 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 weekend a dear couple will be traveling out of town to visit family, 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. 

For these and the many unspoken requests we pray all in Jesus name. Lord bless our homes. AMEN