In Thankfulness

[Leah B.]

When I was a little girl, my pajama bottom caught on fire from a stove. My dad tried to smother the flames with a blanket, but I was terrified and was resisting his efforts. Finally, he just ripped the pajama top off me and threw it in the sink. My mom, now deceased, frantically sprayed me with Solarcaine, but she really didn't have to. I didn't have a burn on me. Anyway, I'll never forget how she held me, how she told me over and over again, "###, God must have been sitting on your shoulder tonight." Well, here I am at age ###, and I think it just happened again! I'll tell you why: You may recall I put in a prayer request that I would have a productive appointment with this hernia surgeon today. We'll, first I would like to say that I did. Unlike his partner, this guy is an excellent communicator as well as a good listener who answered many of my questions. Okay. This being said, I just need to give you a brief background: See, I waited three months to see his partner, the first surgeon, who would be the one to do the TIF part of my operation. In my opinion, this man could have and should have set up the BRAVO testing and the appointment to see his partner who does the hernias right away. Instead he just got around to it at the second appointment three months later. However, here's the thing: Because of the delay, I decided to write a summary of my medical history, and I pulled together all my test results from various places. One of these was a CT scan from several years ago that had an incidental finding of a Bochdalek hernia on the left side. I was perfectly fine back then, doing well in spite of my COPD. I was told I had that hernia, and I was told nothing needed to be done. Then years later on endoscopy, they found my hiatal hernia. [Because my pulmonologist didn't call this earlier finding by the name Bochdalek, it didn't register that this hiatal hernia they found on endoscopy years later was a different hernia, that I actually have two hernias, not one.] My point? Well, when the surgeon saw me today he said, "Who found your Bochdalek hernia?" I said, "I did." I told him I found it on an old CT scan when I was looking at back records and that I was also pretty sure it showed up on a recent PET scan because of the location and the fact that a sliding hiatal hernia would not be seen on PET scan. His response? He's ordering a CT scan to get a better look at the Bochdalek. He says it's a serious finding and that I might need two operations instead of one -- I'm not happy about that part. However, I am definitely seeing God's hand in all of this! I mean, the fact that his partner didn't order BRAVO testing and do a prompt referral is the only reason I ever went hunting through all my back records. More remarkable still is why I even HAD my old CT scan reports to begin with, which is that I had gathered up all those records to give to another physician I am seeing at the end of the month. Had they not been in my possession already and had I not decided to read them, that Bochdalek hernia would never have been flagged by anyone! I don't know what the future holds. I'm still very scared and in pain and ask for you to pray for me in Jesus's name. This being said, when I called my ###-year-old father tonight and told him the story about the physician's delay and how it led me to find the second hernia, he couldn't get over it. I pointed out even how dangerous it could have been if they found this Bochdalek hernia while I was under anesthesia and had to keep me under to figure out what it was. With my lungs, that could have really been an issue! I reminded my dad too about when I was little and my pajama top caught on fire. I reminded him about what my mom said, how she told me, "###, God must have been sitting on your shoulder." I said to my dad, "###, I'll bet she's saying that again tonight."

 

[Articles]

We are deeply moved by your testimony of God’s protection and provision in your life, both as a child and now in this medical journey. Your story is a powerful reminder of how the Lord works in ways we may not immediately see, orchestrating events for our good even when circumstances seem frustrating or frightening. The way He used the delay in your medical care to bring to light a serious condition that might have otherwise gone unnoticed is nothing short of miraculous. It is clear that God has been sitting on your shoulder, just as your mother declared all those years ago.

We rejoice with you in the wisdom and discernment the Lord has given you to piece together your medical history and advocate for your own care. Your diligence in gathering records and seeking answers reflects a trust in God’s sovereignty, even when human systems fail. The surgeon’s response today is a testament to how the Lord can use even our struggles to bring about His purposes. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths."

Yet we also recognize the fear and pain you are carrying as you face the possibility of additional surgery and the uncertainty of what lies ahead. It is natural to feel overwhelmed, but we want to encourage you with the truth that God does not abandon His children in their suffering. Psalm 34:18-19 says, "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." You are not alone in this battle, and we stand with you in prayer, trusting that the same God who protected you from the flames as a child and revealed this hidden danger now will sustain you through every step of this journey.

We must also address the reality of your physical pain and the emotional toll this has taken. It is right to bring these burdens before the Lord, for He invites us to cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Your courage in facing this head-on, even when it is difficult, is a testimony to your faith. We pray that the Lord would grant you peace that surpasses understanding, guarding your heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

Now, let us lift you up in prayer:

Heavenly Father, we come before You with hearts full of gratitude for the way You have protected and guided this dear sister throughout her life. Lord, we thank You for the miracle of her childhood, when You shielded her from harm in a moment of danger. We thank You now for revealing the Bochdalek hernia, a condition that could have brought great harm had it gone undetected. You are a God who sees the end from the beginning, and we trust in Your perfect plan, even when it leads us through valleys of uncertainty and fear.

Father, we ask for Your healing hand to be upon her. Give her strength and endurance as she faces the possibility of surgery. We pray for the medical team that will care for her, that You would grant them wisdom, skill, and compassion. Lord, ease her pain and calm her fears. Remind her that You are her refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). Fill her with Your peace, which transcends all understanding, and let her rest in the assurance that You hold her future.

We also pray for her father, Lord. Comfort him as he reflects on the ways You have protected his daughter over the years. May this testimony of Your faithfulness strengthen his own faith and draw him closer to You.

Father, we ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus, the Great Physician, who bore our infirmities and carried our diseases. It is only through His name that we have access to You, and it is by His stripes that we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). We declare that no weapon formed against this sister shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against her in judgment, You shall condemn (Isaiah 54:17). We trust in Your goodness, Your mercy, and Your unfailing love.

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

As you move forward, hold fast to the truth that God is with you. The same God who parted the Red Sea, who shut the mouths of lions, and who raised Jesus from the dead is at work in your life. He is not surprised by this diagnosis, and He has already gone before you to prepare the way. We encourage you to continue seeking Him in prayer, to lean on your church family for support, and to rest in the promises of Scripture. You are deeply loved, and your life is a testimony to God’s faithfulness. May He continue to guide your steps and fill you with His peace.

 

[Leah B.]

We are deeply moved by your testimony of God’s protection and provision in your life, both as a child and now in this medical journey. Your story is a powerful reminder of how the Lord works in ways we may not immediately see, orchestrating events for our good even when circumstances seem frustrating or frightening. The way He used the delay in your medical care to bring to light a serious condition that might have otherwise gone unnoticed is nothing short of miraculous. It is clear that God has been sitting on your shoulder, just as your mother declared all those years ago.

We rejoice with you in the wisdom and discernment the Lord has given you to piece together your medical history and advocate for your own care. Your diligence in gathering records and seeking answers reflects a trust in God’s sovereignty, even when human systems fail. The surgeon’s response today is a testament to how the Lord can use even our struggles to bring about His purposes. Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths."

Yet we also recognize the fear and pain you are carrying as you face the possibility of additional surgery and the uncertainty of what lies ahead. It is natural to feel overwhelmed, but we want to encourage you with the truth that God does not abandon His children in their suffering. Psalm 34:18-19 says, "The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." You are not alone in this battle, and we stand with you in prayer, trusting that the same God who protected you from the flames as a child and revealed this hidden danger now will sustain you through every step of this journey.

We must also address the reality of your physical pain and the emotional toll this has taken. It is right to bring these burdens before the Lord, for He invites us to cast all our anxieties on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). Your courage in facing this head-on, even when it is difficult, is a testimony to your faith. We pray that the Lord would grant you peace that surpasses understanding, guarding your heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).

Now, let us lift you up in prayer:

Heavenly Father, we come before You with hearts full of gratitude for the way You have protected and guided this dear sister throughout her life. Lord, we thank You for the miracle of her childhood, when You shielded her from harm in a moment of danger. We thank You now for revealing the Bochdalek hernia, a condition that could have brought great harm had it gone undetected. You are a God who sees the end from the beginning, and we trust in Your perfect plan, even when it leads us through valleys of uncertainty and fear.

Father, we ask for Your healing hand to be upon her. Give her strength and endurance as she faces the possibility of surgery. We pray for the medical team that will care for her, that You would grant them wisdom, skill, and compassion. Lord, ease her pain and calm her fears. Remind her that You are her refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). Fill her with Your peace, which transcends all understanding, and let her rest in the assurance that You hold her future.

We also pray for her father, Lord. Comfort him as he reflects on the ways You have protected his daughter over the years. May this testimony of Your faithfulness strengthen his own faith and draw him closer to You.

Father, we ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus, the Great Physician, who bore our infirmities and carried our diseases. It is only through His name that we have access to You, and it is by His stripes that we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). We declare that no weapon formed against this sister shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against her in judgment, You shall condemn (Isaiah 54:17). We trust in Your goodness, Your mercy, and Your unfailing love.

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

As you move forward, hold fast to the truth that God is with you. The same God who parted the Red Sea, who shut the mouths of lions, and who raised Jesus from the dead is at work in your life. He is not surprised by this diagnosis, and He has already gone before you to prepare the way. We encourage you to continue seeking Him in prayer, to lean on your church family for support, and to rest in the promises of Scripture. You are deeply loved, and your life is a testimony to God’s faithfulness. May He continue to guide your steps and fill you with His peace.

Thank you for praying

 

[hostadmin]

We've been thinking about your story all day, the pajamas, the stove, your mother's voice telling you over and over that God must have been sitting on your shoulder. And now, all these years later, a surgeon's delay sends you digging through old records, and you spot something no one else had flagged. We're sitting with you in the wonder of that. Not a coincidence, but a mercy hidden inside a frustration.

It makes sense that you're still scared. Finding out you may need two operations instead of one is a heavy thing to carry, and living with pain while you wait is draining. So we're not going to rush past that part. But alongside the fear, we hear something else in your words, a kind of steady astonishment. You've been given eyes to see God's protection in real time, and that's a gift not everyone receives so clearly.

As you head into the next CT scan and whatever decisions follow, we're simply grateful with you. Grateful for a surgeon who listens, for records that were in your hands at the right moment, and for a father who got to hear you connect the dots back to that night when you were small and the flames didn't touch you.

Lord, we thank you for watching over this dear woman, then and now. Calm her heart as she faces what's ahead. Give her surgeon wisdom and clarity, and guide every decision about her care. Surround her with your peace, and let her feel your nearness in the waiting. In Jesus' name.

 

[Azoirpaertown]

I prayed for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[Zedekiah]

Even when the future is not guaranteed and we are afraid. Msy we find comfort and peace in God alone. From the prison cell of darkness. Of pain and sickness. And medical anomalies that never end. Our greatest fears and weaknesses. Our greatest strength when we rememner that God is our strength. To pray always in the spirit. May Father God and Lord Yeshua and Holy Soirot continue with you as you pray and seek the Lord. God bless. Amen.

 

[Elfbaugh]

Praying for this request in Jesus Name.

 

[Leah B.]

We've been thinking about your story all day, the pajamas, the stove, your mother's voice telling you over and over that God must have been sitting on your shoulder. And now, all these years later, a surgeon's delay sends you digging through old records, and you spot something no one else had flagged. We're sitting with you in the wonder of that. Not a coincidence, but a mercy hidden inside a frustration.

It makes sense that you're still scared. Finding out you may need two operations instead of one is a heavy thing to carry, and living with pain while you wait is draining. So we're not going to rush past that part. But alongside the fear, we hear something else in your words, a kind of steady astonishment. You've been given eyes to see God's protection in real time, and that's a gift not everyone receives so clearly.

As you head into the next CT scan and whatever decisions follow, we're simply grateful with you. Grateful for a surgeon who listens, for records that were in your hands at the right moment, and for a father who got to hear you connect the dots back to that night when you were small and the flames didn't touch you.

Lord, we thank you for watching over this dear woman, then and now. Calm her heart as she faces what's ahead. Give her surgeon wisdom and clarity, and guide every decision about her care. Surround her with your peace, and let her feel your nearness in the waiting. In Jesus' name.

Thank you for praying

 

[Spurgeon]

What a remarkable testimony you have given, and how brightly does the hand of our covenant God shine forth in it! That early deliverance, when the flame could not kindle upon you, and your sainted mother cried, “God must have been sitting on your shoulder,” was but a pledge of His constant watchfulness. And now, in these later days, He has again been your Keeper. He has brought to light a hidden danger through a chain of small events, each link forged in His wisdom. Who but the Lord could have caused that surgeon’s delay, set your hands to gather old records, and then open your eyes to that one finding which all others had overlooked? Truly, the steps of the righteous are ordered of Him, and though your path lie through deep waters, He is with you.

You speak of fear, of being scared and in pain, and that is altogether natural. Yet, how tenderly the Lord meets us with His word, “Fear not.” This precious plant grows thickly all through Scripture, fear not, for I am with you; fear not, I will help you; fear not, thou worm Jacob. It is your privilege, even amidst the trembling of the flesh, to know a holy calm in the inner spirit. Fear is weakening, and it dishonors God, for it thinks the arm that made the heavens might be palsied. But you have seen too much of His faithful care to let fear have dominion. He who kept you from the fire when you were a little child will keep you now upon the surgeon’s table and in all that lies ahead. His word to you this day is, “Fear not, I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore.” Your times are in His hands, and those hands were pierced for you.

Lean your whole weight upon Jesus, not only for the healing of your body, but for the quieting of your soul. I would press this home: trust Him now, before you see the deliverance. As the lepers were bid to go show themselves to the priest while yet they bore the marks of the disease, and as they went they were cleansed, so you are to trust the Great Physician while you yet feel the pain and tremble at the thought of two operations. If you trust Jesus as you sink, you shall swim. If you trust Him as you feel yourself dying, you shall live. There is healing virtue in Him, not only in the fruit of His redemption, but even in the leaves of His common mercies; the least thing about Christ is full of medicine for His people. The same Sun of Righteousness who rose when first He pardoned your sin rises now with healing beneath His wings for your mortal frame.

I perceive that in this whole matter the Lord is working out His own gracious design, that He might display His perfections, His wisdom, His tenderness, His power to save. Could any motive but a divine one actuate the Architect who has drawn this strange plan? The delay, your own search, the recollection of that old report, these are the threads He used. And beyond the physical healing, there is a deeper work. Perhaps He would teach you again, as He taught you in childhood, that nothing short of omnipotent grace could lead a soul to believe and live. Rest in that. Your mother’s words echo from the glory: God is indeed sitting upon your shoulder, and now, as then, He will bring you through the flames unscathed.

I will surely pray for you, that the Lord will guide the surgeons’ hands, that the CT scan will give clear direction, and that whether one operation or two be needed, the great Physician will undertake for you. But most of all I pray that you will know a deep, abiding peace, that forgiveness and healing may kiss each other in your experience, and that you may go forward saying, “I will trust, and not be afraid.” The Lord bless you; the Lord cause His face to shine upon you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Fear not. Only trust Him.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body​

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

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