Dealing with Illness Through the Holy Spirit

I've spent a lot of time on my knees lately with my husband going through a serious illness. One of the most difficult things to do is to watch a loved one in pain and know you have no control over the illness. It's humbling.

During the ride from the doctor's office to the emergency room, I prayed for God to keep hubby wrapped in his arms and to guide the doctors in bringing relief from his pain. Since the doctor had called to let them know we were coming, I thought we'd be immediately received. No such luck. We had to sit in the waiting room for our turn to be called. When a nurse called us for the check-in, I asked for a wheelchair. At least hubby didn't have to walk, and that was a small relief. But, then we were asked to go back to the waiting room until we were called. I watched my husband's face and knew he was about to give up. His hands were cold and his complexion was waxen. I wadded my coat and let him use it as a quasi-pillow to rest his head. I held his hands and prayed. His body shuddered and I realized he was trying not to cry. I continued to pray. I recited the Lord's prayer and the 23rd Psalm over and over between asking God to help us get into a room.

After we were escorted to a room in the emergency section, a doctor, nurse and tech arrived immediately. My husband's bladder was completely blocked and had been for three days. His bladder had swollen to eight times its normal size. While they catharized him, I continued to fold my hands and pray. They drained a liter of liquid and capped off the catheter to avoid his body going into shock and we had to wait for a half hour. My husband's worst pain had subsided, and he held my hand and tears rolled down his cheeks. "I saw you praying," he said. I assured him that God was with us and that He would see us through this setback. He replied, "I feel God is dealing with me right now." He cried, we cried together, and continued to pray. My husband has always believed in God, but he hasn't felt the presence in his heart like I have. This was his moment. In his weakness, he experienced the Holy Spirit working.

He is home now and we will see the doctor on Saturday to have his catheter removed. We are praying that he will not block again as we wait to see a urologist. And we continually thank God for his healing mercy.

Satan's Stumbling Blocks

When Jesus was tempted on the mountain, He immediately recognized Satan and saw through his taunts. Even in His weakened state, He remained strong. For us, however, it is harder to recognize Satan. He is sneaky, cunning, and relentless in his quest to take our souls.

Satan's main stumbling blocks for me are self-doubt and fear, which lead to indecision. When praying for answers from God, I have tried to listen, but instead the outside influences of the world around me begin to distract and the voice I hear is that of Satan instead.

For me, pushing aside the self-doubt and fear has been difficult. My saving grace lay in constant prayer, immersing myself in God's word, and allowing Him to enter my heart completely. Faith is such a comfort and joy.

I realize Satan still has a few stumbling blocks for me, but with God all things are possible. I can banish Satan's temptations through the power of the cross.

May God bless you today.

Prayer for Breakfast?

How often do you pray? Do you make it a daily ritual or do you just send up a prayer when you are in trouble?

Making prayer a daily ritual has brought many blessings into my life. Each morning, I begin my day by spending time with God, with His word and by praying for those on my prayer list.

Today, I am praying for you, my readers. I pray that God blesses you richly today and that you will pay the blessing forward by praying for others.

Last night I started a new Bible Study, Jesus The One and Only, by Beth Moore. I met new friends who will walk the journey with me. We'll be studying the life of Jesus as He walked the roads in Jerusalem. I'm excited to take the journey and I hope to bless each of you with the discoveries made along the way.