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What do you pray for? Big things? Little? All?

Discussion in '2005 Archive' started by TexasSky, Jul 15, 2005.

  1. TexasSky

    TexasSky Guest

    When life in my house was horrible, I often asked fellow Christians to pray for my marriage, but people who had been around and knew the ugly details would sometimes tell me, "I'm just going to pray that God helps you accept this." Frankly - to this day, I wonder what would have happened if they had prayed the prayer I ASKED them to pray.

    A few months ago a friend was complaining that her father-in-law had asked her to pray about getting a new car because his old one needed repair. When asked why that bothered her the friend said, "We shouldn't bother God with our petty problems."

    I laughed and said, "I bother Him about lost car-keys, and since they always, and I mean ALWAYS turn up the minute I open my eyes after the AMEN, I gather He doesn't mind finding them for me."

    But it really got me to thinking a LOT about prayer.

    During one of the darkest, most difficult moments of my life, the only thing that gave me the strength to get up and face each day was faith in God, and the knowledge that my children needed me. At times I would catch myself asking God if I could just go home to heaven because I just didn't know if I could make another day on this earth.

    During that time I ran into one of those "Friends of Job". You know the type. They tell you, "you must have done something to upset God."

    Hearing, day after day, that you must have done something so terrible that even merciful God has turned His back on you - can be quite a spirit crusher. I was beginning to feel 100% alone in the world, like I hadn't felt since before I came to Christ - when I lost my car keys.

    Now - that's never pleasant, but in this case, it was a TOTAL disaster. The supervisor I'd worked with for years had retired and his replacement was a coworker who I had never gotten along with. She tried several times to fire me since she took over, but I ~am~ a good employee, and never gave her grounds, and thankfully my employer is NOT "at will".
    Being late to work would have given her the leverage she needed.

    So I prayed.

    I'd looked for those keys on the hook where I keep them, and on the floor near the hook a dozen times that morning. I'd gotten down on my hands and knees.

    Then I prayed, and when I opened my eyes, there they were, at my feet. Now, I have no idea if I had really over looked them 12 times, or if God actually moved them. I didn't care.

    I knew, the very minute I saw them, I KNEW that my friends were wrong. I KNEW that despite how bad things looked, God WAS listening, He DID care, He DID still love me as much then as He did the day I was first saved. I KNEW I could get through the days ahead because He took the time to find my car keys. All day long I kept thinking, "If He cared about the keys, He cares about the situation at work, if He cares about the situation work, He cares about the health issues. If He cares about the health issues....."

    That was a few years ago.

    This morning I overheard someone else ask for prayer from that friend, I didn't hear the request, only the answer which was, "I'm sorry. I hope I don't offend you, but I don't pray for material things - ever."

    Well, I do.

    Its been a long month at our house from a financial perspective. There are things my daughter had to have for her new job, but the paycheck was not due, as far as we knew, for about 2 weeks. I was really worried about how to stretch my salary to the end of the month.

    So, I asked God to help me. Now, let me explain. I was thinking maybe God would open my eyes to some way to earn an extra $20 or $30. I was thinking small.

    God thinks in much larger terms than I do. I was supposed to receive a payment of about $300 on the 25th. Then my paycheck on the 29th. I have money in the bank, but frankly, its running very low, and I didn't want to go through a whole week of stressing over ever single penny between today and the 25th. I have insurance set up on automatic draft, but for reasons my agent never explains it varies from time to time, and the balance is low enough that variations are a tad nerve wracking, especially when gasoline is $2.24 a gallon.

    Then the person who was going to pay me on the 25th said something to me that indicated they were worried about how to get from the 25th to the 29th, indicating they got paid on the 29th. I said, "I thought the 25th was when you are getting paid." They said, "No." I said, "Then paying me the $300 on the 25th is going to put a burden on you?" They hemmed and hawed. I said, "Look, why don't you pay me PART of what you owe when you can, and the rest on the 29th? Would $100 put a burden on you?" They said, "Are you kidding me? You could wait for $200 of it?" I said, "No, I'm not kidding. I can get by with less than the $100 too, if you need me to. I have money in my accounts, its just very tight, and I have that "uneasy" "what if something comes up feeling." The person said, "Well, that's fantastic! I'll give you $100 tonight, and the rest on the 29th! Thank you so much! Now I don't feel so nervous about my trip."

    BUT - it doesn't stop there!

    My daughter wanted to do something this weekend, but I simply didn't have the money. It has been a really hard month on her emotionally, and I really, really wanted her to be able to do this with her friends, but I just couldn't help her.

    A few seconds ago I got a call from her. This is a new job, and they told her it only paid once a month, but they realized she had worked almost a full month with no paycheck because of time schedules, so they cut a check early for her.

    To her surprise the check was larger than she had expected. Large enough, in fact, to pay off what she owed me, pay off the amount of her tutition that was not covered by her scholarships, and allow her money left over to do the things she had been hoping to do.

    So God provided well above and beyond our needs.
     
  2. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    1 Peter 5:5 Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

    I also pray for all things, TexasSky! That was a wonderful praise report and testimony.

    Many years ago, hubby was still in reserves, our transmission went out on our only car the day before he was to leave for his 2 weeks of summer reserves. We had a tiny child and I worked and rode the bus to work.

    Well, on Wed. during his second week away I got a call saying our car had been repaired and I needed to pick it up by Friday or they'd begin charging $35. a day for storage! I didn't have that money! It was over $2,000! I was so upset and had NO idea what to do. I prayed.

    I got home from work on Friday and Jim was to come in the next morning. There was an envelope in the mail from an attorney to ME. I tore it open, scared to death, and there FOR THE EXACT DOWN TO THE PENNY AMOUNT was a check for back pay when women at the private mental institution had been paid less than men. My name had been included in a class action lawsuit which I'd never even heard of and I promise, the EXACT PENNY. I called the transmission place and asked if I could just sign the check over to them. They even came and picked me up!

    Our God is AWESOME!
     
  3. TexasSky

    TexasSky Guest

    Wow - What an AMAZING testimony! Praise God!
     
  4. menageriekeeper

    menageriekeeper Active Member

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    I have to say I pray for keys(which I seem to lose every day no matter how many times I put them where they belong), red lights(there is one I have to go through every day that holds 5 minutes), money, health(T is sick today) and all sorts of other things that come up. My prayers have been answered many times over!

    The kids can't figure out how I manage to come to that red light just as it turns green. It's not me I promise!

    Money? Just this month we had a financial problem with some property that we sold years ago but still hold the mortgage on. It was at the forclosure stage. Not anymore! On top of that, we enrolled the kids in karate this month. Tuition isn't much of a problem, just have to get used to budgeting for that. Testing fees and equipment are another story. The karate studio asked me to do their embroidery work.

    Yes, our God is awesome!
     
  5. TaterTot

    TaterTot Guest

    I pray about small things, big things, silly things, and then sometimes I dont pray about anything. I think God loves for his children to talk to him no matter how small or big the issues are. I know I need to spend more time in prayer.
     
  6. Victory in Jesus

    Victory in Jesus New Member

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    Our AC is acting up on us right now. My computer shouldn't even be ON because it's too hot to run it. I'm soaking my hair every hour to keep me cool AND I've just begun a new medication that's making my feet and lower legs swell and making me sick to my stomach. It's a NSAID, so I don't want to quit it just yet...I'm hoping it works (so far, it hasn't).

    The windows and door is opened, so now we're battling flies the size of baby birds.

    We don't have the money right now to fix the AC because we just got it "fixed" two months ago AND we're still paying off the water bill because our pipe burst and we didn't know it until the AC guy went to clean our unit and my son discovered the burst when he went to hook up the garden hose.

    The Lord has blessed us...He led someone to give us money I didn't think we even needed when they gave it to us. I was just about to return it when all this happened, so I kept it. This was the first time to my knowledge that the Lord blessed us like this BEFORE we knew we needed it...unless you want to count the burial plot my FIL gave my husband and I (it's the gift that keeps on giving, I always say). I'm trying to ignore that gift right now...hoping the Lord wasn't really in on it. LOL!

    I'm almost sure the reason this all happened...and continues to happen was to test our faith...to see if we would continue to tithe.

    I need y'all to pray for us...not necessarily that we get money to pay a repairman, but that the Lord will cool down the weather so we aren't too miserable in the heat. Cooling off the weather will give us a chance to get caught up with the rest we owe before we call the repairman back out again. I also REALLY need the benefits of my new medicine to outweigh the side effects, so if you could keep this in your prayers also, I'd be very grateful.

    Thanks for this thread. I needed it...perfect timing.
     
  7. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    Victory, look up Heat Edema on the internet BUT I didn't think it was hot at all today.

    Last year my computer would freeze up when this room hit 94° and my ankles looked puffy a couple of times.

    Heat edema (swelling)


    It is not uncommon for your feet or hands to become swollen when you sit or stand for a long time in a hot environment (heat edema). Heat causes the blood vessels to expand (dilate), so body fluid moves into the hands or legs by gravity. The balance of salt in the body is also a risk factor for heat edema. If salt loss is less than normal, the increased salt level draws fluid into the hands and legs.

    Older adults have an increased risk of heat edema, especially if they have other medical conditions that affect their circulation.

    People visiting hot climates from colder climates may also have an increased risk of heat edema.

    Heat Edema
    Benign swelling of hands, feet, and ankles
    Associated with salt or water retention from heat

    Heat Edema
    Leading to swelling of extremities, heat edema usually occurs during the first serveral days of exposure to exposure to extreme heat. Afterwards, the body usually self-acclimates, and no treatment is necessary.
     
  8. Victory in Jesus

    Victory in Jesus New Member

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    Thanks for the information, Diane. The only reason I think it has to do with the medicine is because my AC has been messed up about a week now and the edema just started after taking the medicine. But, that wouldn't rule out heat-which hadn't occured to me as a possible cause. I'll look it up.

    If this is the only cause of the swelling, that would be great. I don't seem to have any other side effects (mobic), aside from loss of apetite and nausea. Those will go away (and no, I'm not pregnant...if that was your next guess [​IMG] WAIT! But those are symptoms of pregnancy!...)

    I'm hoping this isn't like the other medicines like vioxx that can lead to heart attack and stroke. If so, I hope I can at least get my house clean before myocardial infarction sets in.
     
  9. donnA

    donnA Active Member

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    Prayer doesn't have to be words, and shouldn't always be asking for 'things'. it can and should on occasion be just spending time with God.
    One thing we have always found offensive is Rob's family only calls when they want something. They never call just to spend time with him (and good grief, never ever visit him).
     
  10. PastorSBC1303

    PastorSBC1303 Active Member

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    I pray about all kinds of things. I think the Lord desires such a close walk with His children that they can share with Him everything on their heart.
     
  11. emeraldctyangel

    emeraldctyangel New Member

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    Or it could be the NSAIDS.

    I, myself am allergic to all NSAIDS (motrin included) and swelling was the first sign of the allergic reactions. Please contact your doctor ASAP.

    I ended up in the emergency room twice in one day and received epi shots, as well as a horrifying round of steroids. I will keep you in my prayers for improved health.

    To the OP: I pray for everything - to include a miracle.

    I wholeheartedly appreciate your sharing your story Texas. I was inspired to not give up on something I have been praying for and it gave me a good reminder to remember to include others in my prayers a lot more. Even if it is for lost keys.

    The one thing that spoke to me is that there is no such thing as a prayer that isnt worthy of God's ear. To say that something is not worth prayer is pure arrogance - who are we to decide what is important for God? God IS awesome.

    I say to those who will only pray for what they think is a worthy cause - lose the ego and go ask the Father.
     
  12. TaterTot

    TaterTot Guest

    maybe I missed where someone said that
     
  13. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    Victory, I agree! Call your pharmacist if you can't get right through to the doctor. Swelling can be a sign of congestive heart failure.
     
  14. TexasSky

    TexasSky Guest

    I love whateveryone on this thread has said. lol

    TaterTot - I think emerald was talking about the woman in my office that objects to praying for some things.

    Victory - I prayed for your AC.

    PastorSBC - AMEN re the closer walk. [​IMG]
     
  15. Victory in Jesus

    Victory in Jesus New Member

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    Thank you, TexasSky. I've changed my order to the circuit breaker. I think that might be the problem. ...Actually I think the Lord knews what the problem, really is, so let's just pray for whatever needs fixing gets fixed. (I'll know you've been praying for everything If my dog runs out barking in a high voice)

    Diane and Emerald, thank you for your concern. I doubt the problem is heart failure, but I have to get my cholesterol checked this week. I'll have them do bloodwork for kidneys and liver (I think they can check levels of enzimes or something to rule out organ failure).

    I can't ignore this since I've called boxers "idiots" in another thread. LOL! (HEY! I was just playing!)
     
  16. emeraldctyangel

    emeraldctyangel New Member

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    How was the heat today Victory? I hope that you are doing better. If you suffer from hives or start seeing them...that is a warning to get yourself immediately to a doctor. NSAIDS for sufferers of hives can be deadly.
     
  17. Victory in Jesus

    Victory in Jesus New Member

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    Thank you, Emerald. I'll keep an eye out for that. I am allergic to Dilantin, but that's a different medicine altogether.

    It's pretty bad here, weather-wise. But my ankles aren't too swollen. In fact, it isn't noticeable visibly (I normally have thin ankles and toes, and right now they look like the average ankles and toes), but I can feel the tightness when I move my feet and toes. So, it could just be the weather.

    I went with my husband to court today (I go with him on his days off) and it was very hot out. So, with all the fans we have going, it's not quite as bad in here as it is out there...and I do sit in front of them with my feet propped up. I felt bad for the officers who have to wear the bullet-proof vests.
     
  18. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    Well I can vouch for the south being HOT! It is still 90° with a heat index of 96°. I have the Central Air on AND the window unit in this t.v. room is set on energy saver so it'll cycle on when the room gets over 76°. It's almost TOO chilly for me.

    Victory, my ankles puffed up one day this year, when it was 94° in this room and I had sat most of the day with my feet tucked way under my chair. It had happened once last year too. Mine was heat edema and hasn't happened since. I don't have tiny ankles. I have big bones for a short person.
     
  19. Victory in Jesus

    Victory in Jesus New Member

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    It was a record high 98 yesterday and will be up at 96 today.

    I'm going out with my husband again today, but the buildings and car should be ACed.

    This is the time of year every cop wants to be a canine unit. They're required to keep the car's AC on all the time for the dog. So, they don't have to wait for the car to cool down from the heat.

    We're already seeing parents leaving kids in the cars. When are people going to learn?
     
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