Every Wed. we are to pray and fast for one another. Every Weds we can check in and let everyone know we have prayed for the group. Prayer does mighty things and group prayer is even better.

Right now we are doing "POWER of a Praying Husband" for the men and "Power of a Praying Wife" for the ladies. You can use this as your prayer or have your own or combine them.

I think it will be great to see how God works in our lives and heals our marriages and us.

If you want to pray with us I will be more than happy to add your name to the list below.

Prayer Warriors who are praying and being prayed for: cajunky,Ezra, Willgetthruthis, Godisincontrol, Natasha79, JohnC, c++_guy, Wallace, relady, steadfast and committed, morriggs,lupolady, stillwaiting, Broken Hearted, PasDeDeux, hopeful_person,GinnyF, Not peachy in Ga, cry2much,SNL,LostAgain(Dave&April), Dodger, gloriachu, LoveNcare,JMF,WEN, NiteHawk, Absurd, LetSTry,AgainsttheWind,cemmerson, getting better,kellidiane,Terrified, BeeLee,idostylin, Resilient, thiscantbehappening, day by day, Jloves, broken x3, Sue with Hope, sunrise1

Prayers Answered: Lupolady(air conditioner),Steadfast(first string again),cry2much(sucessful surgery), Movingonwithlife(Wife coming home),WGTT(accepted into mentor program), betrayed and desparate (sucessful cancer surgery),Againstthewind(Got job), Free ( Marriage Restoration begun )

Love in Christ
Cajunky

I have a prayer request today. I found out today that a friend of my wifes and I has cancer. She is approx. 46 and she has parkinsons disease and she just found out she has cancer real bad. They are doing surgery Christmas eve to see if there is any hope. Only God can heal this situation.

Love in Christ
cajunky

Heavenly Father,

I ask for you to place your helaing hand upon this woman, your child, removing from her all illness. Your power and strength to work through the hands of her surgeons, give them the ability and spiritual discernment to remove her cancer.
I ask this as the rigtheousness of YOU, Lord, through your son and my savior Jesus Christ!!!

<><

cajunky, I will pray for your friend. I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 47 and know how devastating that diagnosis is. Although my situation was no way near as dire as your friend's, the diagnosis of a life threatening illness pulls you right into the present moment where there is only you and God. God is with your friend and God will carry her through this, no matter what the outcome.

I'll be off-line all next week, visiting my family on the opposite coast. I wish everyone here a joyous holiday. I pray for us all to be able to set aside our pain for the moment and be filled with gratitude for all that God has given us.

"See" you next year, if not a few days sooner!

Hi Cajunky, I also will pray for your freind. Horrible enough to have to go through this but at this time of year? Wow, I pray that the Lord's hand will be on her and her family. Not to mention you and your W, this disease is never easy to deal with.

On another note, I thought it might give us a little cheer to try to remember some good times we've had, some special memories of past Christmases. Check out my thread under "Other Topics" I think it might be fun. I'd love to hear your fun memories! Just writing mine out put me in such a good mood today! I hope it can do the same for others!

God Bless and know that we are all together this Christmas in our hearts!
God Bless you all this Christmas, <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />
Love in Christ, Monika

Friends,

I am leaving in just a little while to visit friends and family for Christmas. I just need to post this week's "Power of a Praying Wife" chapter so all can read it and pray with it. I will return on Thursday, but I will try to remember to pray for everyone on Wed (no access to computer for 4 days!) <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" /> I doubt I'll fast this week, either <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" />

I will not see WH, as he is supposed to be living 2400 miles away. Truth is, I really don't know where he is. I suspect he is 2400 miles (and 5 states) away, cause that's where most of his family is. He said he wanted to be closer to them. He said *I* didn't like them, and it's MY fault we weren't closer to them (not true - they moved out there before we even met and started dating!). It IS true that I will NEVER go live near them again! Did it twice and all it did for us was make us miserable, unhappy and endanger our M. They finally got what they wanted....us apart, divorced, and him with them ALONE and manipulated. Sorry, I didn't know all that was going to come pouring out!

Also, I wanted to ask for traveling mercies, and to wish everyone here a wonderful, fulfilling and Merry holiday! I know I will. I will be with family today and tomorrow (since we are spread apart, we decide on a date, and do our Christmas on that day, so it will be today!), then with a very dear friend and her children. I have been spending Christmas Eve/Day with them for almost 25 years, so it's quite the tradition! I intend to totally enjoy myself, although it is a touch sad, knowing WH will not join us. I did several Christmases with his family. Trust me!! I WILL have a far better time than he!!!

BTW - my dear friend I spoke about above....she phoned me the other day to tell me her middle son came to her house and said he and W are "having problems." Neither is having A, but growing distant, and unhappy, and don't know what to do. He is basically the cause of it (childhood issues, his parents were divorced when he was 8)....he hardened his heart and closed himself off from "people" ever since. He has been a faithful church-goer all along, but knows he's not right with God. He is now a broken man. He fears he will lose his W and M. I hope I get a chance to talk to him alone about this. In the meantime, please remember him. His first name is the same as my WH! "R" and his wife is "A". Thank you all, faithful friends, soooo much.

Gosh, in all that, I forgot to say the most important thing on my mind!

Merry Christmas, all! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">

HIS TRIALS,

Everyone goes through hard times. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Sometimes our prayers help us to avoid them. Sometimes not. It's the attitude we have when we go through them that matters most. If we are filled with anger, bitterness, or insist on complaining and blaming God, things tend to turn out badly. If we go through them with thankfulness and praise to God, He promises to bring good things depsite them. He says to "count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience" (James 1:2,3)

A w's prayers for her H during these times might not change some of the things he must go through. After all, if we never suffered anything, what kind of shallow, compassionless, impatient people would we be? But prayer can help him maintain a positive outlook of gratitude, hope, patience and peace in the midst of it.

Whether it feels like it or not, when we serve God, His love attends every moment of our lives...even the toughest, loneliest, most painful and desperate. He is always there, in our midst, working things out for good when we pray and look to Him to do so. "We know that all things work together for good to those who Love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). His purpose for our trials is often to bring us humbly before Him to experience a breaking in our inner, independent, self-sufficient selves, and grow us up into compassionate, patient, spiritually strong, God-glorifying people. He uses these situations to teach us how to trust that He loves and cares for us enough to get us through the tough times.

If your H feels crushed under the weight of such things as finacial strain, illness, disability, loss of work, problems with the children, marital strife, catastrophes, disasters in the home, or strained relationships, invite the Holy Spirit to move into his circumstances and transform them. Remind your H of the bigger picture, our suffering will seem like nothing compared to the glory God worked in us, if we have the right reactions in the midst of the struggle. "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18). Encourage him to say, "I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me." (Phillipians 4:13)

Pray that your H will be able to press in closer to God until he knows that nothing can separate him from His love, not what he is going through now and not what will happen in the future.

Trials can be a purifying fire and a cleansing water. You don't want your H to get burned or drowned, you want him to get refined and renewed. God has promised that "In all these things, we are more than conquerers through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">
PRAYER:
Lord,
You alone know the depths of the burden my H carries. I may understand the specifics, but You have measured the weight of it on his shoulders. I've not come to minimize what You are doing in his life, for I know You work great things in the midst of trials. Nor am I trying to protect him from what he must face. I only want to support him so that he will get through this battle as the winner.

God, You are our refuge, and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). You have invited us to "come bodly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). I come before Your throne and ask for grace for my H. Strengthen his heart for this battle, and give him patience to wait on You (Psalm 27:14). Build him up so that no matter what happens he will be able to stand strong through it. Help him to be always "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer" (Romans 12:12). Give him endurance to run the race and not give up, for You have said that "a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again" (Proverbs 24:16). Hlep him to remember that "the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord upholds him with His hand" (Psalm 37:23-24).

I pray he will look to You to be his "refuge until these calamities have passed by" (Psalm 57:1). May he learn to wait on You because "those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). I pray that he will find his strength in You and as he cries out to You, You will hear him and save him out of all his troubles. (Psalm 34:6)
</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"><strong>
SCRIPTURES:
I Peter 1:6,7
Psalm 55:22
Psalm55:16-18
</strong>

caj-

Learned today that our Pastor's family(wife and 3 children) was involved in a MVA ...oldest son (5 yo) suffered severe head and facial injuries. Although nothing life threatening, he will have to undergo reconstructive at some point.

Everyones prayers are needed and greatly appreciated.

In Christ's Name!
<><

Please pray for me. The holidays have me feeling terrible. Christmas is such a special family time. H left with OW and OCs to be with the inlaws for Xmas. My mother died last month and my daddy fell and broke his hip on my birthday last week. I have moved into a new house and it is not in order. My life is spinning out of control. I have wonderful friends and a close family. I am blessed. But I still love my H and miss him. Help me get through these bad times. I just wish H would listen to God and talk to me. He doesn't believe it can work out for us, "not with these babies I've made," he said. I have to move on whether I want to or not. He has lost this relationship with our sons. I am so hurt!

HER PROTECTION

DEC. 25 - CHRISTMAS

Prayers of protection build a hedge around your family. Your wife shouldn't even consider leaving home without you praying over her for protection.

It is important for you to pray over your wife to have good physical health. Tell her you are praying for her to have the strength, knowledge, wisdom, and motivation to take care of herself. Tell her you are doing it because she is the most valuable gift God has given you.

Our greatest efforts can't keep us well forever. Even on the best teams, the quarterback still gets sacked. God knew this, and that's why He sent Jesus as our Healer. So ask for healing on behalf of your wife. And don't stop praying until you see an answer.

PRAYER

Lord, I pray that You would surround (wifes name) with your hand of protection. Keep her safe from any accidents, diseases, or evil influences. protect her in cars, planes, or wherever she is. Keep her out of harm's way.
Lord, You have said in Your Word that even though "the wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him....[the] Lord will not leave him in his hand" (Psalm 37:32,33). Protect my wife from the plans of evil people. I pray that when she passes through the rivers, they will not overflow her. When she walks through the fire, she shall not be burned nor shall the flame scorch her(Isaiah 43:2). I pray that (wifes name) will make her refuge "in the shadow of Your wings" until "these calamities have passed by"(Psalm 57:1).
Lord, I pray that You would help (wifes name) to truly see that her body is Your dwelling place. Enable her to be disciplined in the care of her body, and teach her to make right choices in what she eats. Give her the motivation to exercise regularly so that she has endurance. Help her to get plenty of rest so that she is completely rejuvenated when she awakens. May she acknowledge You in all her ways - including the care of her body- so that You can direct her paths.

Let no weapon formed against my wife be able to prosper (Isaiah 54:17). Keep her at all times under the umbrella of your protection, and deliver her from the enemy's hand so no evil comes near her. Give Your angels charge over her to keep her in all her ways(Psalm 91:11). I say to my wife that God will "cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of th pestilence that walks in darkness, now of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousnad at your right hand; but it shall not come near you"(Psalm 91:4-7).

Thank you, Lord, that this day You will cover (wifes name) and help her lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make her to dwell in safety(Psalm 4:8).

Scriptures

Psalm 18:2,3
Psalm 91:9-12
Jeremiah 30:17
1 corinthians 6 : 19,20
james 5 :15

Remember to pray for your marriage as well as everyone elses.

Have a Merry Christmas !!!!!!!

Love in Christ
cajunky

<small>[ December 23, 2002, 02:53 AM: Message edited by: cajunky ]</small>

Merry Christmas to all here. Thanks for your prayers for us. I am really getting weak and believing that there are little miracles left for this family and have accepted divorce as the reality.

But I do keep spiritually in tact and am always finding some new way to see God's goodness to sona nd I.

Huge praise: My neighbors across the street were going shopping (kids were older and they stayed home which was another miracle.) and as they were turning left on a green arrow, a driver in an suv who wasn't paying attention slammed into them going at least fifty. All my friend could say was " God help us. Please Jesus help us". She and her husband's suv flipped and slid into oncoming traffic quite some ways. Two RN's saw the crash and couldn't believe that anyone could hav epossibly survived it. But they did. The wife is bruised and the husband has a broken rib. That is all. Their suv was completely totaled. And all she can say was in her time of greatest need ever, when she thought their lives were truly over, she called out the name of our God. Called to Him. And He answered. We are all so happy in our little cul de sac.

And this morning I woke up early about five thirty. Son was visiting with stbx. I went for a long jog. And in the East was a magnificient star. I hadn't really noticed it in the night sky before. And then I looked at it again and was reminded of our God and his loving gift to us. I am really saddened now and my thoughts regarding my marriage aren't really positive anymore but have really committed my marriage, what's left of it, to God.

Can't travel to TN/MS for Christmas b/c I have to work and see 8 patients the day after so I am quite a bit down friends. Please pray for son and I. Stbx is coming to get son around noon on Christmas and I will be all alone that afternoon and night. I have never been away from my family before on Christmas and I am here in a new city. Please pray for us. I am always keeping you guys in mine.

Thank you for giving unconditional love. Your prayers are the kindest gift imaginable.

Just a note to wish you all God's awesome blessings this Christmas, and many miracles in the New Year! May the prodigals return... each one of them! May marriages be restored by the hundreds!
I thank you all for your prayers, and will continue to pray for you all as well.
I know there will be some sad days ahead for each one of us, but the Lord will see us through them!
Amen!!!

Merry Christmas! Love in Christ, Monika

I got this today from rejoice ministries and I thought it was good for today.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> CHEATED AT CHRISTMAS

"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with bless-
ing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a bless-
ing." I Peter 3:9

A few days ago, amidst the hurried pre-Christmas days, I stopped at a
roadside convenience store for a mid-morning cup of coffee. I did not
have a dollar, and handed the clerk a twenty dollar bill. He rang up
my purchase and handed me the change. With coffee in one hand, and
dollar bills in the other, I pushed the store door open and walked to
the van. Once inside, I discovered that the clerk had given me change
for a ten dollar bill, and not for the twenty I had handed to him. I
had been cheated at Christmas! If I had known what would happen, I
would not have turned off that road. The cost I almost paid was just
too much.

That is exactly how your prodigal spouse might feel when they "come to
their senses" and realize the simple sin they dabbled in opened the
door to their being shortchanged by the shopkeeper of this world, the
enemy of light, satan and his demons. Prodigals are cheated of homes,
families, monies, ministries, friends, and so much more, all because
they detoured ever so slightly off the straight and narrow way of life
that God has designed.

There has never been a prodigal spouse who intended to be shortchanged.
The thrill of an opposite-sex friendship seemed so harmless, yet it
was like tossing a match into dry brush, as the enemy set out to
shortchange another family of a husband or wife, a mom or dad.

Your prodigal spouse may be so busy enjoying the "coffees" available
in the far country they do not yet realize they have been shortchanged.
You, as an individual standing with the Lord, and praying for His
restoration of your marriage and family, may be the one counting the
pennies (quite literally) and first discovering that your family has
been shortchanged. The consequences to my coffee misadventure would
have been ten dollars. The consequences to your mate's misadventure
could be far greater, even to their missing eternity with the Lord.

What are you going to do about being cheated at Christmas? In the
coffee incident, I got out of the van, went back inside, walked up to
the counter and demanded what was rightfully mine, namely a ten dollar
bill. I could have driven away and then complained to people who
could do nothing about it how I had been wronged.

Instead, I took authority to reclaim what was mine. When your heart is
breaking over the empty seat at Christmas today or tonight, may you
also take spiritual authority to reclaim what the evil one has stolen
from you, namely your marriage.

"Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on
earth has been given to me." Matthew 28:18

"I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and
to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. How-
ever, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice
that your names are written in heaven." Luke 10:19-20

Do you see it? Yes, you have been cheated at Christmas, not by that
other person but by satan himself. If you can only grasp the fact
that it is not you, but our Lord God who is fighting for your family,
you can not only understand and live with why that chair is empty,
you can look forward to the Christmas when it is once again occupied
by your prodigal spouse.

Our neighbor down the street, Rosa, is a florist. She and her large
family always have one of the grandest outdoor Christmas displays in
our town. Each year at Christmas, scores of cars would stop in front
of her home each night to observe their ever-growing display. One
evening, many months ago, there was a fire in Rosa's two-story home.
No one was injured, but the home was gutted. For the past three months,
the trucks of workmen have been in front of Rosa's home each day.
Charred furnishings and material were carried out to the open Dumpster
sitting in the driveway. We can't see much of it, but we can tell that
progress toward restoration is being made on the inside. (Charlyne and
I pray that is what people are saying about you also!)

This Christmas, Rosa's home is sitting unoccupied and dark. There are
no Christmas decorations. I suspect somewhere Rosa is saying, "Just
wait until next year!"

That is our message for you today. If you have been cheated at
Christmas, and have taken authority over satan, in the name of Jesus,
just wait until the Lord has you and your mate ready! You will have
people driving by all year, just to see a restored marriage!

May you tolerate the restoration work being done in your home this
Christmas, in excited anticipation of the finished results; a family
serving the Lord together, in love with one another and with God,
some day destined for eternity with Him, and taking as many people
with you as possible.

"If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his
commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high
above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon
you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God."
Deuteronomy 28:1-2

</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Love in Christ
cajunky

I'm in for prayers tomorrow. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

Love,
Jo

Praying for you Angel, Peachy, Still, LetSTry, Catch's friends and of course you cajunky and everyone else here at MB.

Praying that your Christmas is filled with peace and answered prayer. That God will give you the desires of your hearts.

No fasting today. We're celebrating the birth of the Bridegroom. It's a day fo feasting on His word and the bounty He's given us. Mele Kalikimaka.

Bless you all in Christ's name.

S&C

This morning has been real tough on me. I am suppose to be waking up and watching my kids and wife open presents. I know I did this but it just hurts knowing I am not there with them this morning.

I pray for everyone this morning because we are suppose to be with the family God made for us.

Love in Christ
cajunky

Hi all,

Just wanted to let you all know my restoration attempts are progressing well. I am still the biggest obstacle. I am praying for God to work on me and my attidtude as well as H's. We are getting there. H is doing much better but I want to move slowly through this so we don't lose sight of what we are doing and slip back into our old habits and ways. I want to build a new life and relationship, not have a patched up old one. Does that make sense to anyone? God is softening my heart considerably. I just want to keep my priorities straight, pay attention to what is going on and not let anything, that is going to be counter productive in the future, take root now.

I have feelings of sadness for those who are lonely right now, but God IS a God of MIRACLES for all of us who seek him. I appreciate all of you guys so much, for different reasons. Words are so very powerful. They can encourage us just enough to keep going when we think all is lost or they can destroy us. I hope I remember this myself. I recieved this on and e-mail and wanted to share it. It's kind of opposite of the way we think of the "proverbial" straw breaking the camels back.
Merry Christmas.......On a cold winter's afternoon, as the winds howled and
a monster blizzard slowly buried the city under a thick
blanket of snow, a dead limb on an old tree finally
snapped under the weight of more snow than it could
handle.

In the blink of an eye, this old limb, which had
stubbornly clung to the tree for years and withstood
everything, suddenly fell...

...under the weight of *one* more snowflake that,
by itself, weighed practically nothing.

Why should you care?

Because that old limb snapping off gives us one of the
big secrets most of us desperately need to get out of
our box and make our goals happen...

...namely, to keep stacking up "snowflakes" until "it"
happens.

Which means taking one step after another...making one
effort after another...calling one person after another
...taking one chance after another...until we finally
add that last flake...

...and the "branch" breaks and we get what we want.

Simple, right? Yea, but it's the one thing most of us
*don't* do! Hooked on quick results and instant
gratification, we quit when we're 98% of the way there
...when we're within spittin' distance of the success
we've craved!

Because we believe the myth that success is an *event*
that happens fast...versus a *process* of "stacking
snowflakes" that takes time and builds, one flake on
another, until breakthrough happens.

So we give up way too soon, when what we're doing
doesn't seem to be paying off as quickly as we thought
it should. And forget about all those snowflakes we've
been stacking up and are continuing to stack up...that
*will* break us through...if we don't quit.

So tell me...

1) What "snowflakes" have you already stacked up
toward making your dream happen? List all the things
you've already done...big things, little things,
everything!

2) Now sit back with a capuccino and look over the
list and...this is the hard part...tell yourself the
truth about what's really going on...yes, the fact that
you ARE making progress! It IS happening! No, it may
not be happening as quickly as you'd hoped...and yes,
you may still have a ways to go, but you ARE getting
there!

3) Reach around and pat yourself on the back for all
you've done so far. Why? Because it's true, and
because you've got to *give yourself* the positive
feedback you need to keep going. If you don't, you
probably won't get it...not because you don't deserve
it, but because most people can't stroke you for
getting out of the same old box they're stuck in and
have no intention of leaving.

4) Finally, ask yourself how many hours a day (yes,
hours) you're spending working on *your* dream. I know
you're busy, but let's face it...most of us spend our
days making someone else's dreams come true (spouse,
boss, kids, parents, etc.) and then "can't understand"
why ours don't. Trust me: if you don't make you and
what you want a priority and act on it, it'll never
happen and your whole life will have passed you by.

You're so close...it IS happening...all it'll take is
stacking up a few more flakes...don't give up now...

© Pat Lynch, 2002. All rights reserved.

Please feel free to forward this on.

***********

Free

<small>[ December 25, 2002, 11:21 AM: Message edited by: Free ]</small>

S&C, Thanks for the prayers.

Free, Thanks for the reminder that it's "progress not perfection" as we say in Al-Anon.

I'm visiting family on the East Coast (I live on the West Coast). My brother and his family have gone all out to make me feel welcome, we've had a beautiful white Christmas, I've spoken to several friends back home (my "family" as it were), and I feel blessed to have so much love in my life, including the comradeship of all the MBers, especially the D/Ders with whom I can share this difficult process.

My prayers are with you all, in fact the 'snowflakes' are the prayers!
Keep building on them!
God Bless, SW