PRAYER #46 - MY WIFE IS FAR FROM ME

My wife Ann, left four times in the last year on extended trips to China. She is Chinese. We have been married for six years. We were separated too long and have watched as her heart has slowly grown cold, secretive and talks very little. Yes, she may even have another. In January I lost my job and still can not find work. Our money is dwindling. And, as our sixth anniversary comes up

I miss my best friend and true love. I pray God to send here home with a reconciled heart. Two days ago I found out she has Cervical Cancer. And, my heart goes out to my 11 year old Chinese daughter who misses her home.

So many hurts and feeling. Dear God, work a miracle, give here wisdom, health and forgiveness. She is my everything.

Thomas B

HOW TO PRAY

A simple patterns of prayer that has worked for many is the acronym ACTS which stands for Adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication.

Adoration - Spend some time praising God for who He is and what He has done

Confession - admit to God where you have blown it or fallen short

Thanksgiving - Thank God for your forgiveness and the other great things He is doing in your life.

Supplication - This is the part where you bring your prayer requests to God.

PRAYER #45 - SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sheila - (Mobile, Alabama, USA)

Help-I need to know whether to back out of teaching a Sunday School class or not.

Someone is creating all kinds of drama and backbiting for no reason and making teaching very difficult.

Do I defend myself - let her push me around - get out or call a meeting with the five people she's thus far involved. Her dramas are not anything that involves reality.

I'm a good teacher - 30 years of teaching and people are being blessed but she and the two council members she has run to are making everything such a trial...I cannot understand what she wants although I and the other sub (she's the third sub) have asked her repeatedly what she wants. She says all is well and then later calls, texts or emails others complaining that she is being slighted and treated unfairly.

I am so upset about all this - it's a new class and I don't know what to do. The people in the class love it but it's getting me crazy. I need to hear from God on this one...
Sheila

PRAYER #44 - MY HUSBAND'S HEALTH

Kathy (Orange County, CA, USA)

Dear Friends and Family,

I'm coming to you again to ask for prayer.

Many of you know, but a few don't, that Bob was diagnosed 6 weeks ago with pancolitis, barretts esphogas and a hialtal hernia. It appears that that pancolitis is what has been messing with his body for months now. Pancolitis is ulcerative colitis, but instead of being in a small area of the colon - has spread throughout his entire colon. The pictures are awful and the doctor said it's one of the worse cases he has seen.

Okay - so we serve a wonderful, healing God. We do believe that Bob is healed, but are walking through the process now. He's taking horse sized pills 3 times per day and following a very strict diet. But this is the deal - he's having a really hard time with food - it seems that everything makes him sick. We've worked him down to a very limited diet, trying to eliminate the things that affect him - but not working!!!!! Everything - even the most innocent seems to mess him up - every time he eats. I love the fact that he doesn't complain, but can see how tired his body is becoming. And purely from the wife's point of view - he's shrinking.

Please pray for him. Pray for his healing, pray for inspiration on what to do about food. Pray that when we see his doctor on Tuesday that he has some good suggestions - effective suggestions. Suggestions that don't keep us running back to the doctor since our medical insurance ends on Tuesday! but most of all we are praying together and ask that you join us in this - May God be glorified in the process.

We appreciate you and love you. We thank God for the body of Christ! We are grateful to be a part of you.

God bless you!
Kathy

PRAYER #43 - RUNAWAY SON (PART 2)

David's mom wrote us originally on March 6th. She has written us again asking us to continue praying for her son. As most parents know, the teenage years are the most difficult to keep your children from drifting away from you and toward their friends. It's also the time of their lives that they drift from God.

We need to pray for our teens, especially David. I know how painful it is to see something become more important to your child than God. We all pray that our drifting children are our prodigal children.

I will be taking this prayer request to my bible study and to my local church for extra prayers. I ask that you pleasem, PLEASE do the same.

Here is her second letter to our blog:

asking for prayer for my son, David please. He is 14 years old and has become addicted to pot. We are trying to get him into a christian program to overcome this. He has become very disrespectful and wants to do what ever he wants. We ask for prayers that the Lord will completely take away all desire to want to smoke again. And that the Lord will soften his heart and put conviction in his heart.

Thank you,
Sincerely
David's mom

PRAYER #43 - RUNAWAY SON

(Hacienda, Heights, CA, USA)

I would like prayer for my 14 year old son, David, who ran away for a day. He came back but doesn't want to be home.

I pray that he would find the Joy of the Lord in his heart like he once knew it when he was a little boy. And that the Holy Spirit will do a work in his life and my son will once again find Jesus's love!!!

Also, so he doesn't have any more desire to run away again.
Thank you,
his mom

PRAYER #42 - HUSBAND FINANCIAL TROUBLES

Shereen (SriLanka, Colombo) -

I need prayers for my husband Kumar who is facing a financial crisis at the moment in his business He is depressed and ill with this problem He believes in Jesus and a good man who has done lot of charity for the needy Thank you for your prayers and may god bless you.

HOW HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

My church is currently studying the minor prophets.

The more I read about how God is upset with Israel and he is punishing them for the wrong ways, the more I am associating our bad economy to the same thing.

Think about the world. Our economy is bad due to Enron greed. Banks are greedy, autoworkers are greedy, and even Circuit City is greedy. Have you seen Circuit City's liquidation sale. Walmart still has better prices. That's embarrassing.

In fact, Walmart, which is based on Christian values, is the only company flourishing in this tough times.

I truly believe we are again being punished for our lifestyles, greed, lust, and all the other sins that we as a society have grown accustom to.

So I am asking prayer for two things.

1. That God forgive us for our ways. That He forgive us for accepting things that as being okay when they are not. How can we spread the word of God when we are living the life of a sinner.

2. That we stand up stronger as one church and stop treating churches like they are gangs. People get so protective of their church and proud of the name and size of their church. We all are one body. We all are Christ's church. So stop fluanting your church's name around like it means something. It doesn't matter if you worship at Calvary Chapel, Willows, The Rock or the local high school gym. All that matters is that Christ died for our sins.

Please pray for these things. They definitely need to change.