‘Lord, teach us to pray’

HOW TO PRAY

Jesus’ disciples realized the importance of prayer. They understood knowing how to pray to God would bring about a deeper relationship with Him, and peace to their lives. In the Bible, Luke, chapter 11:1, His disciples spoke to Jesus saying “teach us to pray.”

And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples. ~~Luke 11:1

We find The Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13; part of which Jesus answered His disciples when asked “teach me to pray,”

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. ~Luke 11:2-4

THE LORD’S PRAYER

An age-old tradition of mankind, yet how can we pray this way if:

  • OUR (religion does not concern ourselves with others and their needs);
  • FATHER (without showing this relationship in my spiritual walk);
  • WHO ART IN HEAVEN (if I am only concerned with this world and its ‘stuff’);
  • HALLOWED BE THY NAME (when we are not holy);
  • THY KINGDOM COME (when I truly do not accept God’s will and His sovereignty, just my own);
  • THY WILL BE DONE (if I am only going to follow my will/fleshly desire, or resent God’s will);
  • ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN (except I really am prepared to work in His kingdom now);
  • GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREAD (except I commit to seek it);
  • FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO TRESPASS AGAINST US (when I cannot forgive others);
  • LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION (when keeping myself around or involved in things that tempt me);
  • DELIVER US FROM EVIL (if I am not primed to do battle in the spiritual realm through prayer);
  • THINE IS THE KINGDOM (when I am not loyal or yielding to the King);
  • THINE IS THE POWER (if i cave to peer pressure);
  • THINE IS THE GLORY (after seeking my own glory);
  • FOREVER (if I am fearful of now and the future);
  • AMEN (except I sincerely mean whatever the cost, this I pray).

Daily prayer is vital to our relationship with the Lord. It sustains us in the storms and trials of life. Prayer keeps us submitted to God’s authority.

Have you asked the Lord, teach me to pray? He will answer.

God’s Blessings ~ Debra

see you around the path

 

 

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A life well lived

I never knew Roy, Bubba to his sisters, but my path crossed his last night after the surgeons had done all they could do.

A hush came over the surgical waiting room for a moment. Tears slipped down the cheeks of one of Roy’s sisters, and welled up in the eyes of others. The silence broke as the first genteel southern lady spoke up and said: “you did all you could do, thank you. We are well pleased.”

The sisters wanted to visit one last time before Bubba was taken away. We all went in the room together and that is where I first saw Roy, and learned a lot about his life. What a good man he was, faithful, trusting and kind. And most of all, they spoke over and again what a good brother he had been.

It was time to tell his dear wife. She was at home waiting news, as she is recovering from a broken hip.  As one would imagine, disbelief and grief overcame her; we prayed.

Pauline suffered a mild heart attack not long after the devastating news and 911 was called. After going back to the hospital, Pauline was sent by helicopter to a hospital better equipped to handle her particular needs. The family, filled with grace and peace comforted her and we prayed.

As we left the hospital I watched her be transported to the odd shaped machine with twirling blades. I couldn’t help but look up to the heavens and ask the Lord one more time to give her peace for the journey. At the same time my thoughts turned to Roy.

A gentle breeze blew threw the parking lot as my husband and I moved toward our car, and peace like a river flooded my soul.

We never know what a day holds. Let us be instant in season and out.

God’s Blessings ~ Debra

see you round the path

 

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God’s miracles today

LET ME TELL YOU WHAT JESUS DID

In January, 2011 a lymph node on the back of my neck just below the base of my skull began to swell. Over the course of three months, many rounds of antibiotics and discomfort, on Friday, March 4 I fell onto the floor in blinding and excruciating pain. Its source was the now egg size mass, and the pain radiated up through the left side of my head.

Thankfully my husband was there when it happened and I could speak only to tell him that I did not know what an aneurysm felt like, but what I was feeling was as though my head would soon explode and I would surely die. The feeling was real; one of those things you just know.

We rushed to the emergency department in Dallas Veterans Hospital after consulting my physician. Once seen, I was immediately given high doses of morphine to control the pain. Every two hours they came with an injection, sometimes more frequent as the pain would not dissipate. This continued as they ran tests and told my husband and me that I would be admitted to the hospital that this was looking like a more serious problem than once thought.

Eight days later, two Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) biopsies, CT scans with and without contrast, and continuous morphine, the doctor came with news. She told us that all bacterial, fungal and viral infections had been ruled out. Other usual causes too, were negative for cause. She said I had blood cancer. We were stunned. My husband turned on his recording device and we asked the doctor to tell us again the findings and explain how she could be so sure I had blood cancer.

The doctor said there is nothing else left that could be the base cause of this problem and the mass is growing daily. She said it was either lymphoma or leukemia and an excision biopsy would be the final proof – proof only to what kind of cancer. She told us she was sorry but we could hope for lymphoma, as it is curable; however, she felt it was leukemia.

Devastated we cried, called family and simply reacted in the first hours of that news. Then as each of us got alone with Jesus, we both knew this could not be; another thing you just know. Devastation turned into determination to believe the report of the Lord. I was dismissed from the hospital, March 11, packing morphine and two other powerful drugs while awaiting surgery scheduled for March 31.

So many people and churches responded to the prayer requests and our church, Family Life United Pentecostal in Corsicana committed to prayer and fasting continually through this entire ordeal. I was so humbled and grateful and will never be able to express my sincere gratitude. But one thing is sure, God will bless them.

By the time the surgery date arrived, the mass had shrunk to the size of a pea and the surgeon was puzzled. Nonetheless, the lymph node was removed and I was released awaiting final results. I was once again told, it would be either lymphoma or leukemia and the biopsy would determine the stage and course of treatment necessary.

I was hesitant to go to Texas Women’s Conference, April 7-9, because my biopsy results were not in and my surgical wound was healing. My husband encouraged me to go ahead; he felt peace about the entire situation. Thank God for my husband and his sensitivity to the Lord’s unction.

On the way to Conference I got a call from the nurse coordinator over the clinic who told me that the diagnosis was one she had never seen before and did not know how to explain it to me. She related that I did not have lymphoma or leukemia or any type of malignancy. PRAISE THE LORD. She simply said it was a blood clot that the doctors would have to explain.

On April 14, 2011 my husband and I met with the doctor. He turned on his recording device. The doctor echoed the comments of the nurse “you do not have lymphoma or leukemia or any type of malignancy,” “but in six years of working in this field I have never seen a diagnosis such as this.”

She explained that the pathologist said the lymph node just died and all the blood vessels collecting around it simply died. HA – The LORD dried it up at the root!!!

To be prudent the ENT clinic will follow me for two years in the event this is a pre-cursor to lymphoma and refer me to a cardiovascular specialist in the event there is some sort of vascular disorder. But I know a GOD, whose name is Jesus, who healed me from not only this, but the doctor said she noticed I had Barrettes Esophagus (pre-cursor to esophageal cancer) for years. However, the endoscopy report done while in the hospital showed I no longer had Barrettes – and to that she said it was a miracle.

If you are faced with the impossible in mans eyes, be encouraged. All things are possible through God! He may not answer the same way every time, but Jesus will see you through.

God’s Blessings!

see you around the path ~ Debra

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