Wednesday Prayers

Good morning Prayer Warriors, thank you so much for your help over the past 10 days of the roller-coaster ride with our little Miles.  The ride continues, and every time we think we are past the worst of the set-backs another one rears its ugly head.  He had another frightening seizure two nights ago, but the last two nights have been better with no fever and no vomiting.  Please pray specifically today that the insertion of a PICC line for blood draws and IVs will go smoothly, pray that the side-effects of the different medications will calm down, and pray for continued grace, strength and peace for his parents, grandparents, his sister, and all the extended family.

Other prayer needs today include:

1. Austin is 6 weeks old and had open-heart surgery yesterday.  Please pray for healing for him and comfort for his parents.  Pray that they would be a testimony of God's grace and faithfulness in all things, and ask the Lord to send them unexpected encouragement and joy while they are at the hospital.
2. This weekend is a Men's weekend for the local Tres Dias Community.  It is not at all unusual to see one or two crises during the week before in the lives of workers and the men planning to attend.  This year it seems that there is an all-out assault on both.  The level of crisis and the number of those affected seems to be profound.  Please pray for the men working and the men attending for the first time, that God's will would be done throughout this weekend.  Please pray too for the women's weekend that will be happening next week.  
3. Please continue to pray for Brenda as she waits to find out about her surgery.
4. Callie is a little girl who has been at Children's Hospital for over a month now.  Please pray for her, her family and her doctors and nurses.
5. Bryan is having significant problems with blood pressure.  Please pray for healing for this young man. 
6. Many churches are planning a week of special services in the upcoming weeks.  Please pray for God to be honored and glorified through these services.

Thank God with me this week for the following answers:

1. Nancy's chemo week went as well as chemo week can go.  She said that her strength came back a little more quickly this time.  That is a tremendous blessing!
2. My parents are safely home from their trip and had a good time visiting with family and teaching at the Conference.
3. David is safely back home after traveling out of country.
4. Tom's surgery went well and he is slowly getting back to normal.

Please remember to pray too for our churches and our pastors.  Pray that we as God's children would be wise and discerning about the work He gives us, and faithful to do that work whole-heartedly and cheerfully.

In reading this week through the book of Revelation, I am struck by a description of Jesus in the opening few chapters.  Over and over he tells John to say to the churches, "I KNOW....."  Jesus knows their strengths, their weaknesses, their victories and their sin.  He reveals those things to them.  Often we forget that Jesus KNOWS not only what we are doing and saying, but the very thoughts of our hearts and motives.  We may choose to try and hide those failures and run from them, or we may ask Jesus to show them to us, confess them and move on.  We may see our victories as an opportunity to share God's glory, or we may use them to glorify (and thus idolize) self.  May God help us to remember that He is all-KNOWING.  May we be comforted in that.

God's peace to your homes.

Miles during one of his better moments.

Alayna with her new friend Jack!