Prayer

Unless otherwise noted, the prayers and thoughts come from Wendy Howard.

09/20/2007 8:00 PM
I just wanted to share the Streams from the past few days. I'm feeling like the Lord is speaking to us, so I'll take bits from each one to share with you.

He is the Lord; let Him do what is good in His eyes (1 Samuel 3:18)
If I see God in everything, He will calm and color everything I see! Perhaps the circumstances causing my sorrows will not be removed and my situation will remain the same, but if Christ is brought into my grief and gloom as my Lord and Master, He will "surround me with songs of deliverance" (Psalms 32:7).

My people perish for lack of vision. (Proverbs 29:18)
Waiting on God is vital in order to see Him and receive vision from Him. And the amount of time spent before Him is also critical, for our hearts are like a photographer's film--the longer exposed, the deeper the impression. For God's vision to be impressed on our hearts, we must sit in stillness at His feet for quite a long time. Remember, the troubled surface of a lake will not reflect an image.

My Father is the gardener. (John 15:1) It is a comforting thought that trouble, in whatever from it comes to us, is a heavenly messenger that brings us something from God. Outwardly it may appear painful or even destructive, but inwardly its spiritual work produces blessings. Many of the richest blessings we have inherited are the fruit of sorrow and pain. We should never forget that redemption, the world's greatest blessing, is the fruit of the world's greatest sorrow. (What a great quote!) And whenever a time of deep pruning comes and the knife cuts deeply and the pain is severe, what an inexpressible comfort to know: "My Father is the gardener." . . . There are many blessing we will never receive until we are ready to pay the price of pain, for the path of suffering is the only way to reach them.

I walked a mile with Pleasure,
     She chattered all the way;
But left me none the wiser
     For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,
     And ne-er a word said she;
But oh, the things I learned from her
     When Sorrow walked with me.

Be blessed today, dear friends, and pray with power and great expectations for Sydney! (Remember, do you want to have the Lord say to you that you gave up or that you persevered in prayer with hope in what He can do?) Remember He is working, and He does not grow weary! Never, ever give up hope--

1 Thessalonians 4:13, Romans 5:5
We do not grieve as the rest who have no hope! And hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

09/11/2007 9:15 PM
Syd came through surgery successfully. Please pray that the fungus is healed.

Grateful,
James

The Lord keeps impressing on my heart how much the story of Peter walking on the water has meant to James throughout this trial. That was the first thing he shared with all of us at chapel at Providence when Sydney was first diagnosed with leukemia. When Peter kept his eyes on Jesus, he walked right out on that water with the greatest of faith. But when he turned and looked at the storm and the waves crashing around him, he began to sink. I know the Lord is telling us to "keep our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. " Hebrews 12:2 Pray this for James and Lynette.

A while ago I was praying and began asking the Lord, "Did you bring Sydney through the leukemia just to. . ." I couldn't even fnish the thought before He impressed upon me this question, "Are you going to grumble and complain like the Israelites when they said, 'Did you bring us out of Egypt just to kill us in the wilderness?'" Enough said, Lord! I will keep my eyes on Jesus . . .

Praying with you,
Wendy

09/11/2007 3:56 PM
We have been moved to ICU. Sydney's brain is bleeding and there is more fungus. Please pray.

James

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
. . . pray without ceasing. . . and in everything give thanks. . .

Colossians 1:17
for He is before all things and in Him all things hold together.

08/20/2007 1:50 PM
It's been a difficult 24 hours. Sydney has had high blood pressure and a rapid heartbeat. They have been doing everything possible to keep us from being transferred to ICU. Sydney is still in a lobotomized state, although she does seem a touch more responsive. You can imagine how horrifying this is. She did say one word today, her cousin's name.

Please continue to pray,
James

Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Hebrews 6:19-20
"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast . . . ."

Please join together in fasting today and/or tomorrow for Sydney, hungering after the Lord to move mightily in Sydney's life more than we hunger for food (or whatever you choose to fast from).

Praying with you,
Wendy