Aloha All,

I'm just curious to see who is still checking out this forum and praying for those that come here? Are any of you still fasting on Wed.?

Like I said, just curious.

Bless you all.

S&C <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I'm still in, even though I can see nothing that has changed.

T

Still here too occasionally, S&C. I mostly just read things. I rarely post anymore. I do pray for everyone on here as well. I'm not fasting anymore, but I am trying to quit smoking! That means I'm really hungry a lot. LOL

I figured you two would be the first to respond.

Hey T,

Thanks for checking in.

Y,

What do you mean "trying" to quit? I believe you'll do just fine. Just reward yourself and H with A trip out this way with all the $ you'll save. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Anybody else still lurking and praying? cajunky, are you out there? lupolady? Stillwaiting? Hopeful98?

S&C

Steadfast and Committed - Still check the site (Prayer Requests) from time to time, but I've pretty much given up on any coherency to the forum. People post, folks respond, then nothing further. It's almost like they "Drop In" to see if they can "Enlist God" and then go right back to the general forums or simply disappear.

On the fasting question - No, I don't fast much, but considering the lb's I put on since last January when I finally tossed the smokes, perhaps I should just for my own health because now I'm carrying an extra "bowling ball" of weight that I'm trying to lose.

Lastly, I, like many others it seems, am tired of the battle. When I take a stand for "obedience to God" on the forums, I will inevitably be strongly attacked and very few times does any other believer jump in. MortarMan did jump in on one thread where the attacks were getting downright vicious, especially from Dalton Dad, but in general it's a "lone fight."

I see much the same here in the sense that people drop in with a prayer request and then abandon the brothers and sisters who "take up their cause" with God in intercession. It seems almost like they are "grasping at straws" and will "try anything." Sometimes I'm not even sure if they, themselves, are believers, or are just trying to "cover all the bases" in trying to get their spouse back.

I suppose, for me anyway, the "acid test" is whether or not they are willing to obey God regardless of how they are feeling. The answer I get most of time is "no."

I can also say, though it may simply be my imagination, that the whole "feeling" of the various forums has turned decidely against "traditional, fundamental, evangelical Christianity."

So, perhaps it simply means that not so many brothers and sisters in Christ ARE getting hurt by infidelity these days, but I doubt it.

Suffice it to say, there has not seemed to be much "urgency" or "need" for the Prayer Forum on the part of those you might "expect" to seek it out.

God bless.

Please count me in on the prayers!!

I'm posting (appropriately, I hope) and praying for those that I see that are certainly in a lot of pain.

~ Kathie

Hallelujah! I am here. I took gosh, a couple of months off because I needed to spend some time with God. time alone without the forums to confuse me. I needed God's advice and His guidance and it's been a wonderful journey.

I have to admit that I was here many times to get the 'drive through' prayer. God wanted more. I wanted God to fix my unfaithful and addictive husband. God wanted to first work on me and my relationship with Him. Yes, God wanted my husband saved but not for my own selfishness. God wanted him saved because Jesus died for him.

God has been busy restoring my marriage and my family. I serve a BIG God. I serve a God who is faithful in everything - even suffering and hurt. I serve a God who has already defeated the devil and that's worth shouting about!

I really am interested in fasting. I've only recently learned of it and don't know much yet but am seeking. I've put on hold at the library a book on it and have seen a couple of Christian tv shows about it...It appears to already be something God wants because it's not 'if' you fast and pray but 'when' you fast and pray. So, I must need to do this.

ForeverHers...I was moved by your words. I want to serve God no matter what my feelings say. I want to be faithful to Him because He loves me and has been faithful to me. I want to learn and grow and become more Christlike. That is my heart's desire. I want His peace, His joy, and His love.

I am so excited about something I heard last night. I never really understood the verse and maybe this person had it out of context but when Moses asked God, who shall I say sent me? And god's response was...Tell them I AM....

I AM everything you need. I AM God. I am your healer, your provider, your savior, your reconciler, your restorer, your lawyer, your doctor, your financial planner, your father, your husband, your absolutely everything. That is simply amazing and AWESOME!!

Prayer changes things. Always.

In Christ's love...
Angelia

Wouldn’t that be nice? We keep talking about it but never get there. BTW, look for an e-mail, S&C. The enemy is attacking our household right now & I’m getting pretty discouraged. Could really use your words of encouragement.




FH,

These words couldn’t ring more true. I know when I first came to MB, I was given some advice over on General that I didn’t take b/c I felt went against something I believed in, given by a “popular” member. After that, I was shunned & wasn’t getting responses to my thread. Then I found Prayer Request & stayed here. Everyone was so wonderful here – S&C, Genesius (remember him?), singleguy, lupolady, hopeful98, all the “oldies but goodies” (in no way reflecting their age, but their WISDOM). They kept my eyes focused on God which helped me do what I needed to do & rely on God to bring my H home. They helped me realize that after I had changed me, it was totally up to God what would happen from there.

What saddens me is that you’re exactly right. I see it all the time. The “drive-by” prayers & the rush to have God “do” something. And then I see the ones who are really trying to do God’s will & seem so stuck in one place. It breaks my heart. Ultimately, I stopped posting b/c I see so many attacks against people, myself included, just b/c they don’t agree w/someone else & that is truly sad.

I remember a time when the prayer list was posted for the week & the pages would fill just in that one thread alone. I remember the words of encouragement & scripture verses pouring out & now we’re lucky if this particular Prayer forum has any activity in that week. I know I’m guilty of that as well so I think I might correct that & start posting in here a lot more often. If it wasn’t for this particular forum I think I would have gone crazy. I, for one, would like to personally thank everyone I came in contact with in this forum. God truly worked through you to give me strength & keep my eyes focused on Him.

FH,

Thanks for the reply. And thanks for stopping by every once in a while. I know it gets really frustrating to watch as people come here to “Enlist God” and then disappear. But for me the purpose is to be obedient to God. I learned a long time ago that I was only responsible for my obedience not the out come. Some times people take our advice, many times they don’t. It’s truly hard and takes a lot of energy get involved with others and ride their rollercoaster ride with them as we try to give them Godly counsel. I want to encourage you that you are blessing others.

Ah yes fasting does have its “other” benefits. I lost 10 lbs myself.


I guess I can be counted as one that doesn’t jump in. Although it is not because I ignore the thread, I just rarely spend time on the other forums. I have seen people that stand and recommend Godly solutions and Christian Values get attacked. I guess like you, I got weary of the battle and chose to focus on those that at least seemed to be looking for God’s answers. And even that it is pretty much like commando raids. I check in put them on my prayer list, check out and respond with a post every once in a while.


I’m afraid you maybe right about that. By the looks of most of the threads and the responses many times the requestor never come back. Although, there are a few that get no responses from Prayer Warriors, even if it’s just to let them know people are praying for them. Maybe we could get the Mods to place one of those messages up at the top that stays at the top all the time.


I think many people consider prayer to be like a genie in a bottle. Grant my wish so I don’t have to do any work that may be hard or make me change anything about me.


I’m not sure how much the Harley’s are involved with the forum any more. I know there was a huge decline in posts to the prayer forum the first time the forums got re-ordered. I asked for it to be put back near the top where it was. It was moved, but when the site changed to it’s current look they tucked it way down at the bottom and all attempts to get it backup to the top have fallen on deaf ears. So I would tend to agree with you about that.


Sad but true.

But like I said earlier, I know God wants my obedience and He will have everyone else take responsibility for their actions or inactions.

Bless you my friend. I think you have my e-mail. If you ever need or want specific prayer.

S&C

Angelia,

It’s so good to hear from you. I am pleased to hear you and H are recovering. I sure missed your presence here. But I completely understand the reasons.


Amen


Any chance of offering up the highlights of your journey through recovery? Enquiring minds want to know.

[quoteI really am interested in fasting. I've only recently learned of it and don't know much yet but am seeking. I've put on hold at the library a book on it and have seen a couple of Christian tv shows about it...It appears to already be something God wants because it's not 'if' you fast and pray but 'when' you fast and pray. So, I must need to do this. [/quote]

If there is anything I can help with let me know.

Blessings to you and your H. Hope to see more of you here. People so much need the encouragement.

S&C

Kathie,

Thanks for joining us. As you probably read the life of a "Prayer Warrior" canbe kind of lonely. But to see the effects of answered prayer makes it worthwhile (ala Angelia)

Thank you and may He heap huge blessing on you.

S&C

Y,

Your encouragement helps so many others so much. Just wanted you to know not to give up.

Refgarding the e-mail, you know I'm there. Send it any time.

Love you two.

S&C

Some of us are still waiting to see the effects.

I doubt anyone could call me a drive by, pray for me kinda guy. I've been asking God what is it He wants me to do.

I don't come by so often because the answers I get from those who claim to follow God are so divergent. Some say stand, others say let go. Some tell me I'm all screwed up and feel the wrong things, others understand.

I would love to be able to say that prayer has changed things. Maybe it has. Maybe it hasn't.

Maybe I'm just not satisfied with my progress and disappointed that God saw fit that I be divorced instead of putting up barriers to the divorce that were effective.

So I do as S&C suggests and pray that I'm the man God wants me to be and pray for the woman God has for me, as well as pray blessings on my ex-wife and her lover.

T

T,


And as you continue to work on being that man, trusting Him, God will be faithful. Just trust Him and continue to pray for the future Mrs. T (God may still need to work on her before he puts the two of you together).

Bless you.

S&C

I lurk off and on and pray for people. I bet a lot of people do.

Just because someone doesn't believe exactly as you do doesn't make their prayers any less precious, does it?

I hesitate to say anything because I once got right in the middle of quite a mess on this forum... but you must realize that this site, though conceived by Christians (the Harley's), is not a Christian site.

S & C and Y (StandingTogether), I remember both of you well. You have always had tender spirits (both of you) and reached out to me. I never felt judged or belittled. But some others, frankly, I did.

Some of us are very wounded Christians, but Christians none-the-less. Some of us are weak and doing the best we can. And sometimes, being "hit over the head" with Bible verses doesn't help.

I hope you can take my words as I mean them -- not in judgement, but for clarity. I think there are others like me who are hurting and would benefit from a little less judgement and a little more of Jesus's love.

PS:Enlightened ex: You remind me of my ex-H. He is a good friend to me and I feel blessed. I hope your ex-wife can see the same in you. Bless you for praying for her. That, to me, is truly a Christian act.

T,

I had you in mind when I said that some people seem stuck & want to do God's will. I continue to pray for you & see if you've had anymore updates on your thread. I agree w/S&C. Just keep trusting him, T. I know that has got to be so hard to see now from everything you've been through but He really does have your best interests at heart.


This is all you can do.

It's good to see you, NB. I know exactly what you mean about getting in the middle of messes. Precisely why I stay away alot & post when I feel necessary. If I have ever made anyone feel judged, I apologize. Although you say I haven't toward you, someone else might not feel that way. I think I have been guilty of "beating people over the head with Bible verses" & have somewhere lost the message I was trying to say to some. I pray that God continues to move through me as I write the message I'm trying to get across.



I pray for that too. Again, good to see you. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

S&C:

Sure, I don't mind sharing...I came to this forum almost three or four years ago and my husband was unsaved. We had been married gosh 9 or 10 years at the time and he had been unfaithful countless number of times and was in bondage to pornography and prostitutes.

Anyway, my world crumbled but God needed it to. I idolized my husband. I put him in the improper place. I stopped going to church because he didn't want me to. I stopped tithing because he said so. I didn't have enough faith in God to take care of me. I was totally dependent on the wrong person.

Anyway, after much Christian counseling, my own prayers, etc I asked my husband to move out because he was in yet another adulterous affair. It was hard but I prayed daily. I asked God to remove the scales from his eyes. I asked god to save him because he needed Jesus. Before I had been praying he would be saved so my own life would go back to normal. HAHA!

The day I decided to file for divorce he had a heart attack and he's under 40. It was the night before his surgery and he asked me to be there. Not his girlfriend but me. anyway, I continued to pray for him. For God to work in his life, to save him because I know that God's will is for everyone to be saved and in relationship with the Father. Anyway, the morning of his surgery he called me to say that he had asked God to forgive him and help him straighten his life out.

I am here to tell you that sometimes we have to be in the situation where we can no longer depend on ourselves before we will humble ourselves to ask God in. And, God is so faithful - he comes in. He dwells within us. hallelujah!

Anyway, it's been a year now. We attend church together, we pray daily, our family is being restored and yes, it's hard work, but God is faithful. God is healing my emotions from the past, God is healing my husband. My husband tells everyone about his story and how Jesus saved him. My husband is not proud of his past but he also knows that he serves a God who wipes that away. Isn't that just awesome.

You know, I used to sit and pray for God to bring me a husband who would serve God first and I would never say my husband's name because I was afraid God wouldn't answer that prayer. So, I just asked God to bring me someone like that. Now, I have that. So, Tony, I know the prayer that S&C is encouraging you to pray works. Does it work overnight? I don't know. It didn't work overnight...but it did work.

I have asked God to help me forget the past painful memories. that hasn't totally happened yet. satan is always out there playing with my mind. One of the ow's lives around the corner and so that battle is hard for me BUT God is still faithful. I pray for her now. She needs Jesus too.

It's not all peaches and cream. Marriage itself is hard work and when God tells you to forgive, He means it. When God tells me to walk in love and my flesh is screaming that I feel taken advantage of, abused and betrayed, well, God still tells me to walk in love. When God tells me to take every thought captive that means to stop thinking of the past and what coulda shoulda been.

I do know that quoting scriptures out loud saved me many days. I would drive to work quoting "No weapon formed against me shall prosper". God has been faithful to His word.

You folks have a great and blessed day!

In Christ

Angelia

I can so relate to that, Angelia. I put my H first as well. He needed me humbled & He needed me to see that He wasn't first in my life, even though I thought He was. Praise be to God for knowing what we need!



Hallelujah indeed!!!



Our God is an awesome God!!!



Jesus never said it would be easy. He just said it would be worth it in the end. Praise be to God!!!

Thanks for sharing, Angelia. Blessings to you.

For me, the primary mode of existence is spiritual, the primary battle is spiritual. Issues are less about me and some other person, than they are about me and God. And so prayer is vital and essential.