Answered Prayer Blessings for 2008
The Prayer Warriors of Long Grove Community Church have experienced God's love, tenderness and warmth as they walk with Him in faith across the hills and valleys of their lives. They have experienced his love during exciting times of wonderfully answered prayer, and during the times when the outcomes were not as they had hoped and prayed for. God's strength and compassion gently held aching hearts and brought peace and comfort.
Our Prayer Warriors quietly raised intercessory prayer daily for about 350 of our church members and their families, friends, co-workers and neighbors. Here are a few of the blessings they experienced through answered prayer:
They have gratefully experienced answered prayer among the smallest and weakest among us - the children. Eight year old Erika and fourteen year old Mallory are currently in remission from bone cancer and high risk Leukemia respectively. Kevin's brain tumor, which was untreatable via chemotherapy, radiation or surgery, has shrunk 50% with no treatment at all, other than Prayer! Hannah's surgery to remove a brain tumor and cyst was successful and the doctors were very pleased. RosaLynn was only 2 when viciously mauled by a dog. No child before her had survived such an attack, yet alone the experimental 8-hour surgery which had never been attempted before! A young student's school sport physical led to the discovery of a testicular mass which required surgical removal. The post-surgical, preliminary diagnosis was that it was malignant, but the biopsy pathology reports came back benign! Praise God!
Adults have experienced God's healing hands also. Howard was blessed with a successful heart transplant and Paul a successful liver transplant. Kim, Jennifer, Steve, George, Sally, Lois, Don and Judy are all in remission from cancer. Darlene, who is a double cancer survivor, went into a coma after a routine procedure, but she is now home and doing well. Sarah and Todd both had brain surgery. Todd, who had a major stroke at age 31, was told there was not much hope for recovery and that he would either die or become a vegetable. He came through surgery well and is walking again and slowly making progress in therapy toward better speech and use of the right side of his body.
Besides illness, our prayers have been answered with all the Servicemen and Servicewomen on our prayer tree returning safely to the US after tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan!
Of course, there are times when our prayers are not answered in the way we wished, and yes, even the prayer team struggles and cries during these outcomes; but we have winessed all the amazing, unexpected and happy outcomes, and we know that all of our prayers are answered, even when we don't understand it. And so we carry on, praying and witnessing God's blessings!
