I have a friend whose husband just had a lung biopsy and now they wait in faith knowing God has this. As I woke thinking of her and her husband this morning, God brought to mind a time in my life when the doctor's told me for certain I had lung cancer. They did not say 'we think' but instead said 'you do'. Just like that.
I left the doctor's office that day, and as I was pulling out of the parking lot, I distinctly remember tossing my pack of cigarettes out of the window. I was crying and I was very scared. They had scheduled me for further tests but the waiting was horrible. They were certain of what it was because of the mass which appeared on my x-rays. They needed further confirmation in order to move ahead with treatment. They felt an urgency to move as quickly as possible.
I returned to work but I was a basket case. At the time, one of the attorneys I worked for was a very strong Christian. Good thing because at this stage of my life, I was not walking with God. I was single and my life was anything but steady. My employer knew me well enough to know something was amiss. He called me into his office, I cried, and he prayed. He prayed for me continually everyday, right up to the day of my tests.
I must at some point had shared what was going on with my mother and one of my sisters because I remember distinctly that they were with me, or they met me for lunch on this given day. I do not remember everything that occurred up until meeting my family for lunch, but I very clearly have it embedded in my mind of what occurred during lunch and afterwards.
While waiting for the test results, I met my mom and sister at the Ponderosa Steak House for lunch. They were going to try to help me focus on something besides my tests until the results were in. We had arrived at the restaurant, but you could tell from my demeanor and the sight of my eyes that something was not quite right in my life. In those days, I wore the fear like a mask over my face. It was evident, and I was a nervous wreck. My how things are different today. During the storms in my life, though they are raging around me, I cast my cares and thrive in His peace ... that peace that surpasses all understanding. How did I live my life without it? How did I make it without the hope He gives me?
We arrived at the restaurant and was seated. Ponderosa had a great lunch buffet, and the booth we were given was located next to the buffet. Thinking back I do not know why they closed the Ponderosa Steak House. It was one of my favorite places to eat ... LOL!
Returning to my testimony of God's awesomeness, after we were seated I excused myself to go to the Ladies' Room. Later my mom and/or sister told me what occurred while I was away from the table. Here is what they shared:
Our waiter was a young African American boy who was currently a student at UVA. It was obvious to them from the onset that this young man was a strong Christian and full of faith. He approached the table where my sister and mom were sitting. Very politely he said, "Excuse me. I hope you do not mind me asking but I could not help and notice that the young lady who left the table appeared to be very upset. Is there anything I can do?" My mom, who was very nervous herself I am sure, did not hesitate to share our story of how we were waiting on tests to confirm I had lung cancer. Sometime during this exchange of conversation, my mom shared with him about the mass on my lungs. He then asked could he pray with them, and he did. Mom told me about this later. She was so moved by this young man's boldness. She said his prayer was so powerful and full of faith.
I returned to the table. We ordered. We ate. As we were getting ready to leave, this young man came over to me and said, "Here, I want you to have this. Every time life gets you down, look at him and know you are loved by God. Let's call him Mr. Feelgood". He then prayed with us yet again and this would be the last time I ever saw him. Let me introduce you to Mr. Feelgood. How could this not make me smile? I still have Mr. Feelgood to this very day. He brings to my mind memories of a young prayer warrior God put in my path on a day when I did not even know Him. God worked through this willing vessel to minister to the life of another. Today it also reminds me of the importance of being bold in our faith for Him. God can use us in ways we could never imagine. We just have to be willing to be used, and we have to keep that line of communication open with Him so we can hear Him.
We left the restaurant, and I am not quite sure how the remainder of the day played out. I eventually got the call to return to my doctor's office. All of this was on the same day. The mass my doctor previously saw placed enough urgency within him that he wanted to be able to move on right away. We did ... we moved on, but not in the way my doctor thought we would. His quote words, which will be forever embedded in my mind, were, "Ms. Molton, I do not know what to say except that you do not have cancer. Not only do you not have cancer, but the mass which appeared on your original x-rays is gone. Just like that it is gone. I cannot explain it, and I am a bit baffled by it. Nevertheless you are cancer free!" I sat there and I cried. I thanked him and I left. Looking back I should have shared with him of God's love and how intercessory prayers of others saved me, but I did not know to share anything. I did not know God personally, but I was so happy I felt like I was walking on air.
I do know God personally today, and now I can use this testimony for His glory. It is through the trials in our lives where we can truly thrive and allow Him to work in us to give hope to someone else.
I know today how much intercessory prayer can mean to someone who is struggling through a difficult time, especially if they have no personal concept of our Lord! I am certain the powerful prayers of this young man, along with my Christian boss, went straight to God's ears. I do not remember praying at all during this time. I did not know how to pray and I did not know God at all!
When you see someone asking for prayer on Facebook or anywhere at any time, take a pause and do just that ... pray for them! The Bible speaks a great deal of intercessory prayer.
2 Corinthians 1:11, "...you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many."
Philippians 1:19, "For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ."
Isaiah 62:6-7, "I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth."
Ephesians 6:18, " ... praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."
There are many more verses in the Bible pertaining to intercessory prayer but I think you get the full picture. When we pray for others, it truly means something and it truly has power. Prayer is the most valuable asset we have when someone we care about is in distress. So the next time you see a request for prayer, whether you personally know this individual or not ... whether they are seeking prayer on behalf of another, pause whatever you are doing at the time, bow your head, and pray. It only takes a short time, and you can simply do it in your mind quietly. This is what I do at work at times when I hear of someone needing prayer. I turn my head towards the window or quietly close my eyes and I say a simple prayer. Heck, if you have to then just excuse yourself, head to the restroom, and pray. We all have 5 minutes to offer. It is free and it is the rarest, most precious gift of all.
God bless and have a wonderful day!
I left the doctor's office that day, and as I was pulling out of the parking lot, I distinctly remember tossing my pack of cigarettes out of the window. I was crying and I was very scared. They had scheduled me for further tests but the waiting was horrible. They were certain of what it was because of the mass which appeared on my x-rays. They needed further confirmation in order to move ahead with treatment. They felt an urgency to move as quickly as possible.
I returned to work but I was a basket case. At the time, one of the attorneys I worked for was a very strong Christian. Good thing because at this stage of my life, I was not walking with God. I was single and my life was anything but steady. My employer knew me well enough to know something was amiss. He called me into his office, I cried, and he prayed. He prayed for me continually everyday, right up to the day of my tests.
I must at some point had shared what was going on with my mother and one of my sisters because I remember distinctly that they were with me, or they met me for lunch on this given day. I do not remember everything that occurred up until meeting my family for lunch, but I very clearly have it embedded in my mind of what occurred during lunch and afterwards.
While waiting for the test results, I met my mom and sister at the Ponderosa Steak House for lunch. They were going to try to help me focus on something besides my tests until the results were in. We had arrived at the restaurant, but you could tell from my demeanor and the sight of my eyes that something was not quite right in my life. In those days, I wore the fear like a mask over my face. It was evident, and I was a nervous wreck. My how things are different today. During the storms in my life, though they are raging around me, I cast my cares and thrive in His peace ... that peace that surpasses all understanding. How did I live my life without it? How did I make it without the hope He gives me?
We arrived at the restaurant and was seated. Ponderosa had a great lunch buffet, and the booth we were given was located next to the buffet. Thinking back I do not know why they closed the Ponderosa Steak House. It was one of my favorite places to eat ... LOL!
Returning to my testimony of God's awesomeness, after we were seated I excused myself to go to the Ladies' Room. Later my mom and/or sister told me what occurred while I was away from the table. Here is what they shared:
Our waiter was a young African American boy who was currently a student at UVA. It was obvious to them from the onset that this young man was a strong Christian and full of faith. He approached the table where my sister and mom were sitting. Very politely he said, "Excuse me. I hope you do not mind me asking but I could not help and notice that the young lady who left the table appeared to be very upset. Is there anything I can do?" My mom, who was very nervous herself I am sure, did not hesitate to share our story of how we were waiting on tests to confirm I had lung cancer. Sometime during this exchange of conversation, my mom shared with him about the mass on my lungs. He then asked could he pray with them, and he did. Mom told me about this later. She was so moved by this young man's boldness. She said his prayer was so powerful and full of faith.
I returned to the table. We ordered. We ate. As we were getting ready to leave, this young man came over to me and said, "Here, I want you to have this. Every time life gets you down, look at him and know you are loved by God. Let's call him Mr. Feelgood". He then prayed with us yet again and this would be the last time I ever saw him. Let me introduce you to Mr. Feelgood. How could this not make me smile? I still have Mr. Feelgood to this very day. He brings to my mind memories of a young prayer warrior God put in my path on a day when I did not even know Him. God worked through this willing vessel to minister to the life of another. Today it also reminds me of the importance of being bold in our faith for Him. God can use us in ways we could never imagine. We just have to be willing to be used, and we have to keep that line of communication open with Him so we can hear Him.
We left the restaurant, and I am not quite sure how the remainder of the day played out. I eventually got the call to return to my doctor's office. All of this was on the same day. The mass my doctor previously saw placed enough urgency within him that he wanted to be able to move on right away. We did ... we moved on, but not in the way my doctor thought we would. His quote words, which will be forever embedded in my mind, were, "Ms. Molton, I do not know what to say except that you do not have cancer. Not only do you not have cancer, but the mass which appeared on your original x-rays is gone. Just like that it is gone. I cannot explain it, and I am a bit baffled by it. Nevertheless you are cancer free!" I sat there and I cried. I thanked him and I left. Looking back I should have shared with him of God's love and how intercessory prayers of others saved me, but I did not know to share anything. I did not know God personally, but I was so happy I felt like I was walking on air.
I do know God personally today, and now I can use this testimony for His glory. It is through the trials in our lives where we can truly thrive and allow Him to work in us to give hope to someone else.
I know today how much intercessory prayer can mean to someone who is struggling through a difficult time, especially if they have no personal concept of our Lord! I am certain the powerful prayers of this young man, along with my Christian boss, went straight to God's ears. I do not remember praying at all during this time. I did not know how to pray and I did not know God at all!
When you see someone asking for prayer on Facebook or anywhere at any time, take a pause and do just that ... pray for them! The Bible speaks a great deal of intercessory prayer.
2 Corinthians 1:11, "...you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many."
Philippians 1:19, "For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ."
Isaiah 62:6-7, "I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth."
Ephesians 6:18, " ... praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints."
There are many more verses in the Bible pertaining to intercessory prayer but I think you get the full picture. When we pray for others, it truly means something and it truly has power. Prayer is the most valuable asset we have when someone we care about is in distress. So the next time you see a request for prayer, whether you personally know this individual or not ... whether they are seeking prayer on behalf of another, pause whatever you are doing at the time, bow your head, and pray. It only takes a short time, and you can simply do it in your mind quietly. This is what I do at work at times when I hear of someone needing prayer. I turn my head towards the window or quietly close my eyes and I say a simple prayer. Heck, if you have to then just excuse yourself, head to the restroom, and pray. We all have 5 minutes to offer. It is free and it is the rarest, most precious gift of all.
God bless and have a wonderful day!
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