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Home » What We Do » Phil's Friends Blog
ThuThursdayFebFebruary16th2012
Prayer Requests - 2/16/2012
New Living Translation (NLT)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
At the beginning of 2012, I chose the word TRUST as my spiritual theme word for the year. This is the area that I feel God has told me that I personally need to work on. Leaning on Him, relying on Him at all times, and not trying to navigate life on my own. I've tried the self-reliance route in the past. Don't ask how that worked out. I think you all know the answer is "nowhere good." Reading this verse reminds me that God is the one who is in control. His plan for my life has already been determined. Knowing that His plan will ultimately lead somewhere good is making it easier for me to trust that it will, even when I encounter moments of doubt.
Romans 15:4
New Living Translation (NLT)
4 Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.
If I had to pick a second theme word, it would probably be PATIENCE. I know I've gotten myself tangled up in troublesome situations because I wanted things to be done on my schedule. I'm certainly willing to share my calendar with God. But He doesn't need me to tell Him when, why or how to get things done. Sometimes I'm the one who needs to slow down. Sometimes I'm the one who needs to wait patiently instead of jumping into a situation just so I can tick it off of my to-do list. Sometimes our ability to be patient is one of God's ways of showing us mercy. Patience may keep us from deviating from the path He's set us on. Reading this verse reminds me that God's promises will be fulfilled. And when I'm having trouble processing that notion, reassurance can be found in reading God's word.
2 Corinthians 5:7
New Living Translation (NLT)
7 For we live by believing and not by seeing.
One of the things I love about being involved in this outreach is being able to share stories where people are bold enough to tell others how God has worked in their lives, even in what some would call the worst of times. I became aware of the Harrison family's story through Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows, IL. If you have six minutes to spare, consider watching the video link below. (This one brought me to tears but they were the good kind.)
Lord, This week we've heard from so many people who are in need of patience and trust. So many who are awaiting test results like Hannah, Priscilla and Andrea. So many, like Johnny, who are awaiting healing so they can resume their treatments. So many like Angela and Kim, who are recovering from surgery. So many like Kaitlyn, who are waiting for the correct diagnosis so that effective treatments may begin. We've heard of people like Janis, who are not only dealing with cancer, but also taking care of children on their own. Lord, we ask for You to provide resources to help all of those people who are struggling financially, for those who are struggle to be caregivers when they need care themselves. We pray for all of the people, like Peter, who are caring for a loved one with cancer. Give them the strength and patience to be loving in times of frustration. Give them peace and times of rest and joy. Lord, we thank you for the lives of all those whose journey here has ended. We thank You for families, like the Harrisons, who are willing to share the story of how You walked with them and worked through them as they faced cancer head on. We ask that You comfort all of the families who a grieving the loss of loved ones, but especially the families of Anthony and Mary. Lord, we ask that in times of doubt, that You fill our hearts and minds with constant reminders of all You've promised. Remind us that Your plan and Your timing is perfect. Remind us to lean on You. We thank You for the blessings You give us every day. Let Clyde Harrison's words from the video above ("Who could ask for anything more than what God has given me? What a life!") be the words that remind us of how much we are loved. Amen.
ThuThursdayFebFebruary9th2012
Prayer Requests - 2/9/2012
Galatians 6:2
2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
Lord, in times of trouble, it is so easy to seek refuge in places we shouldn't. We think that we can handle things on our own. We don't want to burden other people with our problems when we know that those around us may be suffering, too. Remind us that when we share each other's burdens, we are providing and being provided with a source of relief. There are so many around us now who need relief. We pray for Chloe, who is 5 yrs. old and undergoing treatments. She is fighting against the people who are trying to help because she is scared and doesn't understand what cancer is and why she has to go to the doctor again. Help Chloe's parents and doctors. Give them gentle hands and loving words to help reassure Chloe as her treatments continue. We pray for Kaitlyn, Cindy, Danny, Charlie, Johnny, Vicki, Thomas and Hannah all of whom are undergoing treatments or awaiting test results. We ask for continued strength and healing. We ask for freedom from pain and fear. Let their hearts be filled with peace.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
God Offers Comfort to All
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
Lord, we praise You for the good news of Barbara's remission. We are thankful that we were able to be a source of comfort to her during her journey. We ask that You continue to use all of the people who make phone calls, write cards or pray for our patients and their families. Use those who are now cancer survivors to be a source of encouragement to others who are just now beginning their journey. Help us show Your love to others in all that we say and do.
Psalm 94:19
19 When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.
Lord, there are times when we doubt You, Your existence and the promises in Your word. When we lose people we love, grief can be overwhelming and it can consume us. We pray for the families of Mary, Rick and Mary Beth. If they are doubting now, we ask that You provide reminders of Your presence, reminders that Your promise of heaven has been fulfilled. Take the burden of grief away from these families and replace it with the comfort that will give them renewed hope and cheer.
And finally Lord, we thank You for all the blessings that You have and continue to provide to each of us individually and to our organization as a whole. Sometimes we don't realize how lucky we are. We live in a country that has so many resources and so much freedom. Sometimes we forget that there are places in the world where cancer and other illnesses are viewed as curses, where people are ostracized for being sick, where resources like hospitals and medicine are not available. We ask that You remind us to keep all those around the world who are suffering in prayer. Give us generous hearts to share our gifts and do what we can, where we can. Expand our outreach to those in need, no matter where they are in the world. Amen.
ThuThursdayFebFebruary2nd2012
Prayer Requests - 2/2/2012
Joshua 1:9 (NLT)
9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
Lord, It is easy to do what you command in the verse above when life is calm. Why is it so hard to be strong when life takes a turn for the worse? Why is it so easy to forget that You are with us, no matter what, and wherever we go? There are so many who have lost that sense of calm and peace. So many, like Dave and Hannah, who are undergoing tests and awaiting results. So many, like Stacy, who don't know what is coming next. Lord, we pray for wisdom and guidance for their doctors to diagnose symptoms and determine the best treatments. Lord, we pray for the families of those, like Harriet, who have been called home. Lord, bring that sense of calm and peace back to all who need it. Remind them all of Your promise. You will not leave us or forsake us. You ARE with us wherever we go.
Ephesians 6:10-18 (NLT) The Whole Armor of God
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[b] 16In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[c] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.[d]
Lord, We need Your protection each and every day. We've had many reports of people connected to our organization being attacked in various ways. Whether it's cancer or other health issues, whether it's broken relationships, job related stress or other forms of spiritual/emotional attacks, we need to use the tools that You've already given us to defend ourselves. Keep us connected to You and each other through reading Your word and through prayer. When we are dealing with others, give us compassionate hearts and ears that are willing to listen, and tongues that are slow to speak. Let our response be Your response. Give us the words to provide comfort and hope to those who come to us for help.
Psalm 27:13-14 (NLT)
13 Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
14 Wait patiently for the LORD.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the LORD
Lord, Every day we see examples of Your goodness. Every day, we are blessed in some way, no matter what troubles the day may bring. Here at the office, we are blessed with phone calls, cards and e-mails from the people we support. Yesterday, JoAnn called to share her story. She is a 76 years young, a widow, a mother/grand/great-grandmother, and a breast cancer patient. She called to praise You for the healing you have already provided. She said that she knows for certain that her healing and response to treatment so far, is by Your grace. She is so thankful for all the people who are lifting her up in prayer. But Lord, she also said that she felt she had to call to let us know that she was praying for all of us, too. She asked that You send angels to guard us as we continue to reach out to others. Thank You for JoAnn and all those who continue to pray for and encourage us. Thank You for all that You have and will continue to enable us to do. Amen.
ThuThursdayJanJanuary26th2012
Prayer Requests - 1/26/2012
I've always thought of myself as a good listener. I like talking to people, hearing about what is going on their lives, and sharing what is going on in mine. However, I know there are times when I am not listening though I should be. I seem to encounter this problem when I think I already know what the person I should be listening to is going to say. I've noticed that my kids sometimes have the same problem with their homework assignments. Instead of reading the directions that are printed on the worksheet, they jump right in to solving the problem, only to find out that the answer they calculated is not the one the directions required. In life, we find ourselves in many situations that are repetitive or routine. We get used to doing things the way we think ought to based on past experiences and never stop to evaluate our course of action.
Unfortunately, many of us treat our prayer life in the same way. We pray the same prayer at every meal. We pray the Lord's Prayer, but recite it from memory. We seem to forget that every prayer is a unique conversation with God. Just think about that for a minute. Can you call your prayers conversations with God if you're just repeating words without regard for their meaning? Can we call our prayers conversations if we're the only ones doing the talking, and never spending any time listening to what God says?
So how do we shift our focus from prayer by recitation to prayer by conversation? Here's what's been working for me:
- Start with a moment of silence to clear your mind.
- Select a piece of Scripture, read it, and allow time for meditation.
- Use a model like A-C-T-S (Adoration-Confession-Thanksgiving-Supplication) to help you shift the focus of your prayers from the grocery lists of requests to a worship based prayer. Ask for intercession from the Holy Spirit as well as for God's presence/purpose to be magnified in your life.
- Don't let your prayer life become stagnant. Seek opportunities for spiritual growth.
- Evaluate - assess what works and what doesn't for you and readjust accordingly.
Psalm 105:1-6
New Living Translation (NLT)
1 Give thanks to the LORD and proclaim his greatness.
Let the whole world know what he has done.
2 Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
3 Exult in his holy name;
rejoice, you who worship the LORD.
4 Search for the LORD and for his strength;
continually seek him.
5 Remember the wonders he has performed,
his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
6 you children of his servant Abraham,
you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.
Lord, We want our prayers to be conversations with You. But sometimes we get stuck in repetition and routine. Sometimes it is easier to recite prayers that we've learned than to really examine our thoughts, what's happening in the world around us, and more importantly, what You are trying to say to us through Your word. Use Your Spirit to enable us to become more connected to You through prayer. Use our lives to magnify your presence and our purpose in this world. Many of us have seen You work miracles. Remind us of those miracles and Your promises in each season of life. Give us the desire to seek the strength that only You can provide.
Each week, Lord, I am amazed by the stories from patients who call or send cards to let us know how our outreach at Phil's Friends has touched their lives. These stories are a blessing to us, hearing how You are using people, strengthening their faith, repairing broken relationships, and providing healing. But Lord, there are also so many who still need our prayers. This week, we pray for Ramona, Jon, Jeff, and Richard, all of whom are undergoing treatments and seeking You as their source of comfort and hope. For Jeff, we thank you that a bone marrow donor was found quickly and ask for Your healing hands to be over him as he undergoes a transplant procedure this week. Richard's advocate shared the fact that it took a cancer diagnosis to bring him back into a relationship with You. Richard needs constant reminders of Your presence. Bring him peace.
Lord, we thank You for all of the resources that You continue to provide. Thank You for the connections that have been made through Phil's interview on Moody Radio last week and during his recent trip to Missouri. We ask for Your continued protection over our staff and volunteers as they travel to events or here to our office to be of service. In all we say and all we do, keep our hearts and minds focused on You. Amen.
ThuThursdayJanJanuary19th2012
Prayer Requests - 1/19/2012
John 19:25-27
New International Version (NIV)
25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, “Woman,[a] here is your son,” 27 and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
There is a man laying in a hospital bed. He's hooked up to more machines than I can identify (oxygen, blood pressure, IV, heart monitor, etc.) He's got a huge bandage on his chest. I'm not sure what the bandage is covering, but I'm going to venture a guess that it is his chemo port. He's less than 30 years old, has brown hair that's cropped short, not quite a military haircut, but close. He's got a full mustache and beard. He is a handsome young man. He looks tired, but at peace. Close your eyes for a moment and picture him there. Can you see him? I left one important detail out that needs to be added. He's holding his daughter who is about 3 years old. She's sleeping in his arms.
This man's name is Jeff. He was diagnosed with acute Leukemia about a week ago. I've been corresponding with one of his family members and received the picture I described above a few days ago. I wish that I had pictures of everyone that we are praying for. When I looked at this photo, Jeff became real to me in a different way. Some might look at the picture and feel sad. Or some might look at it and wonder why anyone would want to preserve this particular moment in time by photographing it. But there is a beauty beyond what most will see in this circumstance. When I look at it, I see something more.
In the verses from John 19, Jesus is about to die on the cross. But what is he concerned about? Not himself. Even in his final moments, he seeks to comfort those around him. When I look at this picture of Jeff, I see a father who is not concerned with his own suffering but with comforting his daughter in that moment. It reminds me that no matter what season of life we're in, our Father is with us. He's holding us in His arms and providing His comfort and peace. We are never alone.
I mentioned last week that I'm working on improving my personal prayer life and am hoping that a side effect of my personal growth will be the growth of the Phil's Friends Prayer Outreach as well. Last Friday night, I attended a prayer service a local church. The specific focus of this service was praying for those who need healing. I'm still struggling with that grocery list image. I don't want to pray the requests we receive as though they are items to be checked off of a list and forgotten about until the next week. So I'm going be trying out some different things format wise. The model I'm using for this week's prayer is called A.C.T.S. which stands for: Adoration - Confession - Thanksgiving - Supplication. I'm going to label the parts of the prayer as such, in case this format is something you might want to try, too.
(Adoration)
Lord, I adore you for: who You are, who You have been, and who You will continue to be. You are my rock. My source of refuge and strength. 24/7, not just in times of trouble. Why is it so easy to forget that? Help me remember the promises You've made and kept. Help me remember the promises to come. Focus my mind and heart on You at all times, both good and bad.
(Confession)
Lord, I confess that I fail every day in new ways and ways I thought I'd overcome. While we like to focus on our successes, we know that our organization has had its share of failures along the way, too. Forgive us for our failures. When we make mistakes, when we don't uphold Your word, bring those situations to our attention so that we may seek reconciliation, forgiveness and restoration. Use those mistakes as opportunities for spiritual growth.
(Thanksgiving)
Lord, there is so much to be thankful for. Remind us that every day is gift and that no matter our circumstance, You continue to bless us through it all. I thank You for all the blessings given to me: family, friends, food/shelter, for taking care of all of my needs and more. I thank You for the blessings you continue to pour on this organization, for providing what we need when we need it, for the gifts of our volunteers, their talents and time. We've had several cards and phone calls reporting good news. Thank for the healing you've provided to Virginia, Frank, John and Susan, all of whom have received word that they are in remission or cancer free. We've also heard from many new patients who are thankful for the prayers, cards, and care packages they've received. And Lord, we thank you for the lives of those who have been called to join You in Heaven.
(Supplication)
Lord, though You already know the concerns of all of our hearts, there are so many people who have come to us requesting prayer. This week, we pray for your comfort and peace for the families of Arthur, Brian, Karen, and Gerald who are in mourning. We pray for Larry, Jeff, Sally, Jon, Benny, Carol, Kim, Lynn, Katherine, Michael and Connie, all of whom are currently undergoing treatments. For those who are newly diagnosed, we ask that You alleviate their fears about what treatment will be like. Give each of our patients continued strength to endure. Give their doctors guidance and wisdom to determine the best course of action. We ask for Your protection over each one of their families. Lord, we know how stressful times like these can be. Give all of the caregivers patience. Let them continue to be positive, even on bad days. Lift up all of these families, surround them with people who provide constant reminders of Your blessings and love.
But most of all Lord, keep that picture of Jeff in our minds. When we walk out into the world, keep us focused on that image, the image of a father who comforts his child in the midst of suffering. Allow us to be that father for those we know who are in need. In all we say and do, let Your presence and power be magnified in our lives and the lives of those we touch. Amen.
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