At my Tuesday Bible study we had a new member this week. She is a Christan and grew up in a Christian family. Just before Christmas they diagnosed her father with Cancer. They went in to operate and took out one tumor the size on a lemon from the colon (I think). However, at that time they found cancer on all the organs in the lower area, the liver, pancreas etc, I don't remember it all. Well when the Dr came out he said about the bad news. Her Father talked about getting everything in order. Then she said okay. We can pray. We can pray and pray. But more than anything else we must believe he will be healed. There can be no doubt. She prayed to God also that if He healed her Father she would tell everyone she met. <BR>The family got together over her Father and they all prayed. They prayed and they prayed in absolute assurrance that God would heal her father. Well they did some tests (I think a MRI, possibly and a cat scan.) They were looking to see if it had spread to the brain I think. Anyways they came out after wards and said that almost all the cancer was totally gone. They had no idea what had happened but they could find very little. This was only a week later. Apparently besides the tumor they took out he had two more tumors about the same size. One of those is completely gone and the other is about the size of a grape. From a lemon to a grape. I think he did undergo chemo. Also one of the surgeons was a Christian. He was truely amazed and said he wouldn't have believed it if he had not seen it with his own eyes. O by the way she does tell everyone the story: taxi drivers, shop keepers anyone she meets.<BR>I know that several prayers I have prayed and prayed once without a second thought, praying knowing they would be answered have indeed been answered. One was the episode with losing my wallet with all my id's and credit cards last week. I decided when I lost it that I would trust God. I didn't even pray for it to be returned. I just said I trust You God. As I walked out of the library I said okay God if no one has called me by the time I get home then I will cancel the credit cards. I walked in the door and told the Babysitter I needed the phone and she saidoh a lady called she has your wallet. Wow!!<BR>In Guatemala when we were there 5 Easter's ago, my younsest got a horrible, red, painful, itchy bottom. I thought we needed her to see a Dr. but I wasn't sure where we would find one so I put some desitin on, expecting it to do little. Then I prayed okay Lord, you say if we pray and believe you will answer. So I prayed that her bottom would be healed and that in the morning she would run in my room and annouce my bottom doesn't hurt anymore. Well she finally went to sleep and I went off with friends to observe a neat tradition they do. (They dress up like Roman soldiers and starting about 12:00am they go all over the city reading the sentencing of Christ.) Meanwhile all the shopkeepers are out all night laying carpets in these elaborate pictures with flowers and greens and colored sawdust. Then the next morning there are parades and they walk on the carpets. It is only done in Spain and Antigua, Guatemala. Anyhow we did not get in until 5:00am or so. I was asleep when the youngest ran into the room and yelled my bottom doesn't hurt. I was amazed!<BR>I have had several more examples like this. When I was running a women's group one of our teachers had cancer and had to leave for the states at the last moment(we were in Panama at this time). I said what am I going to do our Bible studies start next week. I said okay Lord, You take away and You provide. Right after church I went up to the woman and asked her what I could do and should I find a teacher to replace her. She said well remember when A wanted to teach but got a job, well she didn't get the job after all and she is teaching.<BR>What amazes me about all this is that I have no difficulty praying and believing absolutely that it will be answered with everything except my marriage. I have wrestled with this given it to God and taken it back so many times in the last 5 years. But since Jan, God has really been working in my heart to give it up to Him. It meant not doing or trying to monitor my husband any more. God keeps peeling the layers back to get me to let go and stop trying to control. It has been such a long excruciating process. Since Jan, He has been calling me to just trust Him, let go and come closer to Him. Bit by bit He has moved me there. Well after Bible study yesterday standing on the subway platform pacing and in tears I said to God. I believe You will restore my husband back to Jesus and You will restore my marriage. I prayed this and I let it go. It has tried to creep back in (the doubts that is) but I will not let it. I will be confident in Jesus. He brought that woman to the Bible study on the week I could go (I'll be writing finals the next two weeks and I probably won't go). I know that message was for me and to share with all of you. Rejoice, pray, believe and rejoice again. He is God and He does answer prayer. But He wants our absolute conviction that He will answer. If He doesn't answer the way I think He will then I am assurred that He has something better planned. That is my step of faith. He wants to move us all in that direction. He will answer and whatever the answer is it will be better than good. It will be better then anything we can imagine!!<P>Father,<BR>I thank You for You. You are better than anything! Lord, I will pray to you and leave it with you. Lord no turning back. I do not need even to pray for it gain, because I am assurred that You have it. It is in Your hands and You will answer according to Your will. Thank You.<BR>Father, come to each women here and give her conviction that You are indeed in control. Draw them closer to You. Give them such a thirst for Jesus. Lord restore the husbands to You or bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus for the first time. During this Easter weekend let Your Spirit touch all the husbands and draw them ever closed to knowing Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Let us all remember what Jesus did for us. He died for us and no one ever has or will again for us. Bring our husbands back to you and us, Your plan will not be thwarted. There will be a beautiful answer to our prayers through Jesus Christ. Let it glorify You and shine for everyone to see. Then let us boast in You o Lord, of Your mighty restoration to You and to their wives. We pray because we know You are God. We pray in Your will. We pray in Your hope and Love and Grace. In Jesus name, Amen

hw,<BR> I wanted to quicky post to let you know what a great post that was,you continue to bless me with them,and I do want to comment, at another time, on the praying without doubt.<BR>I can identify.<P>For now, though,I must get to bed.<P>God bless you,<BR>Joy

How truly awesome! God is sooo good, He is the almighty physician, counselor, everything! What a powerful example of faith. I am so glad you shared this. My faith has been wavering lately; today I felt like it would never come back. Your message gave me such hope. I feel the same as you hw - I have rock-solid faith that God will answer prayer and overcome all, except when it concerns my marriage. I so need to work on this. How do you get the negative, unfaithlike thoughts out of your mind? <P>I bought a book of verses at the grocery store today. I was so thrilled to see a whole section of Christian books at the grocery store! Anyway, here's some verses on faith that I am memorizing:<P>Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.<P>James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, <I>nothing wavering</I>. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.<P>2 Cor 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.<P>Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that ot of yourselfes: it is the gift of God.<P>Dear Lord, thank You for Your gift of Faith. Help each praying wife to accept this gift, and use it continually. Lord, remind us daily that we must walk by faith. And most of all, help each of us to not waver in our faith. We praise You Lord, and thank You for answering our prayers. We know that You will restore our marriages, and save our husbands from the destruction by the enemy. Thank You Father. IJN AMEN

Great Prayers thank you all for sharing your wisdom with me.<BR>Carol