Praise God ROSEBUD for the healing!

It is a wonderful thing to fast if one feels the need. I have copied some of the teachings on this from my church.


Q. What does fasting mean in the Christian life?

A. Nowhere do the Scriptures teach that fasting is required as a way of "earning" God's grace or favor. During the Middle Ages, many requirements were placed on Christians, including some that suggested that by fasting one could earn more merit before God. The central issue at stake in the Lutheran Reformation was the Scriptural teaching that it is God, in Christ, who has earned our salvation. We contribute nothing to that salvation, but only received --through faith--the benefits of Christ's suffering and death on our behalf.

That doesn't mean that fasting is wrong. Jesus speaks about fasting in Matthew 6, saying "When you fast..." (not "If you fast"). Fasting has always been recognized by Lutherans as a potentially useful and God-pleasing means of exercising discipline over one's own mind and body (see, e.g., Augsburg Apology XII, 139, 143). As Luther explains in the Small Catechism, "Fasting and bodily preparation are certainly fine outward training. But that person is truly worthy and well-prepared [to receive the Lord's Supper] who has faith in these words: 'Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.'"

So, should you choose to fast at a certain time or in a certain way, do it as a way of "honoring God with your body" (1 Cor. 6:20). Use it as a time to be reminded that man does not live by bread alone (Matt. 4). But also recognize that God does not require this as a way of "earning points" with Him. You are His free and forgiven child in Christ.

Me here ~ I think we need to remember that God hears all of our prayers and that we are not required by any law to pray certain ways. I have seen people hurt because they felt their prayers or faith wasn't "good" enough for God to listen to.

That being said...we need to continue our prayer walk in the ways that we fell comforted and understand that the most important thing we can ask in all our prayers is this....Heavenly Father, I pray in the name of your precious Son who gave his life for me, Jesus Christ, that Your WILL be done in my life"...

Again...OUTSTANDING that "OUR" prayers have been answered with your leg...awesome...just awesome!

PRAYER REQUEST ~ for MRS. BRADY (Lovebirdsflying) as she is really depressed right now and needs our LORD's love and peace at this time. Her grandmother is very sick and dying (so we should pray for her too); and she was Mrs. Brady's caregiver (she raised her), so she is especially fond of her. This is a sad time for her; which is very understandable.

We lift up dear Mrs. Brady to you today Father, and we ask that you touch her with your perfect Love that casts out all fear; your Peace that surpasses understanding; and your Comfort that gives us strength during difficult times in our lives. We ask this for her, in Jesus' name and we thank you ... Amen and Amen.

BTW ~ THANKS GARY ~ for your knowledgeable notes about praying; and I actually agree with you. I prayed that special prayer becuz it helped me while I was trying to patiently wait for this prayer to be answered. I had two other groups of Christians also praying for my leg as well, and I am grateful for all the prayers and know they all were heard.

The skin on my leg is still getting better; some day I hope it will look normal again, but that will take a bit more time yet ... and thanks again!

Please pray for my dear friend who was just diagnosed with colon cancer. I pray it's not passed stage II. This won't be known until her surgery. She begins chemo and radiation next Friday to shrink the tumor. She has a mighty tough road ahead.
Thank you very much.
Theresa

^Prayers going up^ for your friend, Theresa ...

Thank you very much.
Theresa

Prayers for your friend THERESA....my sister is going through chemo right now for a double mastectomy.....

ROSEBUD...hugs....I just know from experience that people w/o a personal relationship with Jesus look to Him as a "santa"....then others that find that relationship that Christ wants with us...but are "newbies"....or are taught wrong agendas....well....they feel prayer is more about what they do or don't do than allowing God to answer us as we grow in our walk.

Human nature tells us that the "harder" we pray or the "more" we pray or the "more correct" we pray that our prayers will be answered as we want....

We all fall into that....

but the closer we can come to praying that His will be done...the closer we walk with Him...

not an easy task for us...

but only because we "fight" against the "give it ALL to God" thing....hugs...

Bless your heart. I appreciate your prayers for my dear friend.

I pray your sister will be OK. She is going through a very difficult and painful time. She will need lots of support as losing one's breasts is a very traumatic experience. She will need to be reassured that she is still very much a woman and very much loved. I am so sorry to hear this.
Theresa

My sister is taking her last bought of chemo tomorrow then starts radiation. She is having some depression issues, understandably, the "what ifs"...I die..I live...we all know those questions....she has been in a lot of pain with these last bouts of chemo.

She was at church with us last night and I saw "life" in her....Praise God!

Also asking for prayers for my sil...my brother's wife, Sue....she was having breathing issues and chest pain this afternoon...my brother took her to emergency and they transported her to the hospital...her blood pressure is sky high but test results have been good so far...admitted for overnight stay and being watched with a cardiologist coming to check her.

THANKS, GARY ~ yes, as I see all these folks who have so much to go thru with cancer treatments, I can so relate to the long process and the waiting and the not feeling well and the fears about what if ... people kept making dire comments to me ... maybe trying to scare me ... what does that accomplish ... nothing ... it can't make my leg heal any faster, you know ...

So for what ... 2+ plus years I have been doing all kinds of procedures and trying all kinds of meds; and soakings and different kinds of salves and bandages, etc -- all the while, trying not to worry about infections, etc. I had the same thing happen on the other leg and well, a nightmare before I met all you guys. I was very sick, but the LORD carried me thru. Now I am trying hard to live healthier, but also have to be patient and wait for it to heal. As a nurse told me, these things can take years ... years? ... that's not the word I wanted to hear ... eeks ...

I wanted to hear days or weeks, not years. Anyways, it is much better now, but I still have to keep on top of things for my health -- taking good care of myself, eating well, exercising, taking the right meds and vitamins, and so on until the skin is all back to normal. We all have our trials and fears that others may not know about -- we all have them becuz we are human.

Am sending up some prayers for your sil, SUE and her family as this is a scary time for them too. Plus continued prayers going up for comfort for ANNIE too ...

Sorry I haven't been around lately-- my son has been here since Christmas and was having trouble with the marriage. He left last week to go to Colorado to see if there would be a 12 year anniversary to celebrate tomorrow (Feb 1) or just what was happening. So he rented a car and is out there now. Talked to him a little while ago and he thinks they will all be coming back here next week for short visit and then on to Florida again!!! I'm not understanding this at all.... they went out there last time with no money, no job, no family around and no place to live. This time they are saying they are going to go about it different but again they have no money, no job, no family around and no place to live-----different? I keep worrying about them but he will be 35 on the 11th so it is time he either makes it or not but I have to practice that "TOUGH LOVE" I've already told him I won't finance his trip out there and I won't finance his living expenses out there. He just isn't making sense.... I know I would like to live in Hawaii but I know that will never happen-- to expensive to live there(maybe someday I'll be able to visit) My brother and sister are looking into buying a restaurant here and asked our son if he would be interested in running it for them. Great opprotunity. They went and looked at my Mom's house (which is vacant now) and said they would work with him to be able to buy it. Two weeks ago when he was here, he was pretty excited about doing that and getting on his feet. Now that he has been in Colorado and talked to HER they are ready to go to florida again. Grrrr!

Gary, thoughts and prayers for your family. So glad to hear that your sis went to church. I need to go more often because i always feel so much better when I do--- right now we have about 5 inches of snow on the ground! No swimming yet!!!LOL!!

Rosebud, also lots of good thoughts and prayers for you too. Your posts are always so uplifting..love to read them.

OK --- Thanks for hearing me out --gosh, I feel better.
Have a great night.

ROSEBUD my cousin, not a christian, fell years ago off a ladder and hurt his back. His back healed in months but for the longest time...probably 15 years, he had a terrible rash on his legs...a rash he never had before....then one day for no apparent reason the rash stopped.

This from a man that doesn't pray as far as i know...

how much better HOPE for you!

You pray, I pray...WE ALL PRAY!!!

OMGoodness KAREN!

Sounds like your son is passing up the opportunity he is looking for...no wonder your frustration!

Thank you for your prayers and good luck for all your family!

I go to church often...it is where I feel fed....but that is me! And I am so blessed to have a wife that feels the same.

My sister is resting and in pain from her last bout of chemo...thankful it is over.

My sister in law had the surgery...no stents needed...weak heart on one side doctors believe from the high blood pressure...sky high! She is still in the hospital and will be released to come home tomorrow with medicine and rest if all goes well. More tests are being done for the high blood pressure.

Gary--still sending prayers for your sister and sister in law-- And make sure you know that prayers are in there for you too!! Take care of you and Angie too.