Random Thoughts

Had my check up last Friday. Blood test results were not good. I was disappointed, of course, but I had to remind myself of what God and I talked about before I came out of the hospital two years ago.

I did not hit my target last month and I was disappointed again, but this season is a whole new ball game for me. I'm given another chance to try again.

When bad things happen, it's just like a sack of fertilizer being poured out on me. It may smell and look nasty now, but look at what it can do to a plant after a few months.  I'm being prepared for something great, that's for sure!

No matter how screwed up one's life is in the past, no matter how many times you screw up, God's faithfulness is constant. It never changes. It never depended on US, never did.

I know God listens to me when I pray because when I ask for parking in spite of a "full parking" signage up, a slot gets freed up just in time.  If He bothers to hear me pray for the simplest thing like a parking slot, I'm sure He hears my other requests which are far more important than that.

When I know I didn't do anything wrong, even if somebody accuses me of something I did't do, I can sleep peacefully at night like a baby.  

I can tell God anything, things I wouldn't even share with anyone. 

My time is coming soon. I will shine bright like a diamond!

Welcome 2014!

This is my first post for 2014 and I really want to encourage others with my post.

We just finished our annual prayer and fasting as a church.  I'm all pumped up and very excited for what this year has to bring.  2013 was a good year, but I'm believing that 2014 will be a better year... wait, let me say that again... 2014 will be a GREAT year!

No matter what situation you are in, be encouraged!

Three things that I'm believing God to happen this year.

RESTORATION.  The act of returning something that was stolen or taken from you.  In Joel 2:25 it says: “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten— the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm— my great army that I sent among you." That speaks of restoration. What is it that was stolen or taken from you?  Money?  Time?  Health?  Relationship?The Lord promised He will repay the years the locusts have eaten. That's a great promise!

PROVISION. In Joel 2:26 it says: You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the Lord your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will my people be shamed." Plenty to eat until you are full... That speaks of provision.  And not just simply provision, but more than enough provision.   In verse 22, if God is very mindful of the animals, what more us?  We are His children. In verse 24, it speaks of fulness and overflow.  You see, God can change your situation overnight!

IMPARTATION. In Joel 2:28 it says: "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." We will be filled more and more with God's presence.

These are some things we should be very excited about!

I am!

If God is for Me...

How time flies. It's the first day of the "ber" months and guess what.  I heard a Christmas song being played a while ago while I was doing some grocery shopping.  The first for this year.  And since Christmas is my favorite season of the year,  I'm excited!

I was talking to one of my closest friends, Sylvia, this morning over FaceTime and we were discussing about how faithful God is.  I told her that there were days when I wake up in the morning feeling very fearful and worried about the future. I was being bombarded with "what-ifs." But when I started praying in tongues, the fear disappears.  Sylvia reminded me how the enemy works and how he will use people to try to sway me off my faith. Sneaky little devil.

“Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!" 1 Samuel 12:16

When the enemy says something, we have to counter it with God's truth because we know that everything the enemy says is a LIE.

The Lord holds my future on the palm of His hands.  If He is for me, who can be against me (Romans 8:31)?

Anyway, it's my nephew's birthday today.  Happy birthday, Andre!  Here's a photo of my family taken last night at Saisaki (with the singers at the back).

Request for Prayer - Update

***UPDATE***

I received the results of my blood tests.  My creatinine level is now down to 115.90. Normal values are between 53-115.  Praise God!!!  Prayer is very powerful.  Thank you for praying for me! The rest of the tests are okay.  I still have to see my doctor to know what the next step will be.  I will have another round of blood tests after the Holy Week.  God bless you, my dear Prayer Warriors!

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March 21, 2013

Hi friends.

I will have another round of blood tests tomorrow.  I haven't been feeling well for the past 4 days.  I stay in bed most of the time because I've been feeling very weak. I really hate having all these symptoms because I couldn't do what I need to. I had to cancel meetings because I couldn't get myself to get up because of joint pains.  Please pray for me.  I really want these symptoms to go away.  I haven't been getting enough sleep either.

God, please help me. I need you right now.

Needs Prayer

Please pray for me.  I'm going to have another round of blood tests on Thursday.  I hope everything goes well.  I will be seeing all my three doctors on Friday.  Here's hoping and praying for a good report.

Lord, I humbly submit myself to you.

Lupus Update

I had my blood test yesterday.  Got the results today.

Bad news.

Rheumatologist and nephrologist said it seems like the lupus is active again and more aggressive this time. They wanted me confined so they can administer high dosage of steriods via IV, but I asked if there are any other options. They agreed to give me meds for now and repeat blood test on the 14th.

Please pray for me.

God's will be done!

Need Prayers...

Please pray for me.

I had my check up today. Some results came out good, some not so good.  Honestly, I felt nothing when the doctor was explaining to me what step has to be done. I wasn't really afraid.

My rheumatologist said that my swollen feet can be an indication that my kidneys are not functioning properly.  I have a check up with my nephrologist on Wednesday.  My creatinine level is 133.50 and the normal range is between 53-115 only. It's elevated. According to my doctor, the lupus affected my kidneys.

My doctor said that based on another set of blood test taken earlier which the result I'll get on Wednesday, in time for my check up with my nephrologist, a decision has to be made whether or not this new medicine for lupus will be administered to me immediately to save my kidneys.

The meds are very costly.  A vial would cost around Php90,000 ($2,142). Doctor said I have to have 2 vials immediately.  Then another 2 in 2 weeks.  That will cost me around Php360,000 ($8,571).

Please stand with me in prayer that the blood test result will come out normal.  The test is about albumin. Whatever that means.  I pray to God that the swelling decreases and that my kidneys function normally.  Dear friends, please pray for me. If my kidneys fail, I may have to undergo dialysis. I don't want that.

My meds as it is, are already very costly.  Having to get this new medicine will cost me a whole lot more. Friends, if you find it in your heart to help me with the cost of my medicines, I'd truly appreciate whatever amount you give. I've put a donation button on the top right of my blog.

God, I know You are in control.  I humbly submit myself to Your Will. Please help me!

Confined Again... Con't.

Wednesday (October 3, 2012)

• Worst day of my confinement.
• WBC and platelet counts went up a little. This is the first good news since I was confined.
• RBC and hemoglobin levels are still going down, but not as fast. 
• Fingers on my right hand were beginning to feel stiff. I couldn't bend them anymore. Requested that the IV be transferred to my other hand. Also, since finding a suitable vein to extract blood from in my left arm is getting more difficult each day, the transfer would mean they would have to extract blood from my right arm. My left arm's veins can rest.
• Although dengue has not yet been ruled out, it is still one of the possible causes. 
• They brought in a nephrologist to assess my kidneys since my creatinine levels were high. 
• Blood transfusion may be needed if my RBC continues to drop. My rheumatologist put on hold any plans of blood transfusion because she needed to make sure my WBC and platelets are within controllable levels. 

Thursday (October 4, 2012)

• No blood samples were taken today. My arm could use the rest from all the pricking. 
• Started experiencing pain in my lower lumbar region. It's there whenever I am lying down or sitting. When I walk it disappears. So, I did some exercise: I walked up and down the aisle around 5 times. That helped. 
• My nephrologist visited me today. He said that my electrolyte test turned out okay. Praise God! He told me that they might have to do a biopsy if my creatinine levels do not go back to normal levels. Just hearing him describe the process makes me cringe. I don't like needles, especially large ones! 
• My cough is getting worse. The doctor gave me some medicine to get rid of it. Towards the evening, my coughing began to subside.
• Before going to sleep, I had a migraine attack. The resident doctor gave me paracetamol, but it felt like forever before it took effect. I forced myself to throw up, thinking that I must have eaten something that didn't site well. Some coloured fluid came out. Could have been the paracetamol tablet, since the liquid was orange in colour. After around 10 minutes, I was fine.  I finally fell asleep.

I still tried to smile in spite of the pain I was feeling. 

Friday (October 5, 2012)

• Woke up with a terrible, head-splitting headache. Do you know how it feels like when your sleep is interrupted because people go in and out of your room to check on your vital signs? I know that the nurses had to do it, but once my sleep is interrupted, I find it difficult to go back to sleep. I think this is why I had a migraine. I took some paracetamol again. I was able to sleep for around 3 hours. I woke up hungry, but feeling a lot better. 
• I miss my own bed. I told myself that I want to go home tomorrow, Saturday. I prayed to God that He will make all my test results show the doctors that I am fit to be discharged tomorrow.
• Good news: one of my attending physicians told me that my WBC is now normal.  Praise God!
• Mom spent the night at the hospital to take care of me. 
• Visited by friends and church mates
• Removed the IV. It wasn't as painful as I thought it would be. Now I can move freely again! 
• IV steroids to oral steroids.
• Had another migraine attack. Mom tried to ease the pain by stroking my head. It helped a bit.  I had to throw up and get rid of a piece of kangkong. After throwing up, I felt a better. 

I prayed to God for healing and miracles to happen. Honestly, I was so scared.  I praised and worshipped God and told Him that my life is in His hand.  I was in so much pain.  I told God that if He's going to take me now, I'm ready.  I just don't want to see my family suffer because of me.  I know they're hurting too especially Mom. I could see how worried she is.  But praise God!  I got miracle after miracle in the hospital.  The doctors expected the worse, but God delivered me.  

I may have been tested positive for SLE, but I know my God is in control.  I know that healing is mine and I will continue to claim that until the day He calls me home.  Please continue to stand with me in prayer for my healing.  Thank you so much.

Saturday (October 6, 2012)

• Got discharged from the hospital. Hospital bill was paid by my health card.  I shelled out minimal amount only for the excess.  Praise God!

Confined Again

Hospitals are never in the list of my favorite places to be in. Unfortunately, I am confined in one now.

Saturday (September 29, 2012)

• I wasn't feeling well, so I took my temperature: 38 degrees Celsius. 
• I took medicine for fever and rested the whole the day. 

Sunday (September 30, 2012)

• I took my temperature again. It was still 38: the medicine did not work. Something's wrong. I have to see a doctor.
• I rushed to the ER of Cardinal Santos Hospital, the nearest hospital. They examined me, took a blood sample and asked me to wait for the results.
• When the attending physician returned, she said that my WBC, RBC, hemoglobin and platelets are all way below normal levels. She said that I have to be confined. The doctors think that this could be a case of dengue.

• They inserted an IV. That hurt a lot! The objective was to rehydrate me because I was so dehydrated. The tests showed this, too.
• Fortunately, I have a health card. My plan entitles me to a semi-private room. The personnel at the admitting section of the hospital said that no semi-private rooms were available. Since I was an ER case, they gave me a regular room instead at no additional charge for the first 48 hours. On the third day, if I choose to stay in the room, I just have to pay for the difference.The room was bigger than I expected it to be. Plus, it had a good view! It had cable tv, a refrigerator, a phone, a toilet and bath.
• I was not able to eat well on the first night. 
• The doctor gave me Iterax to help me sleep well. It did not work.

Monday (October 1, 2012)

• I underwent battery of tests. 
• My CBC figures were steadily going down at an alarming rate. The doctors add SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) to the list of suspects.
• I had no appetite in the morning. I was highly irritable. (Later that day, an intern said my irritability could have been caused by hypoglycemia since I was not eating well.)
• The doctor started low dosage of steroids every 12 hours.
• The dextrose was on fast drip.
• I started regaining my appetite in the afternoon.
• Friends started coming to visit.
• I had a bad case of colds.

This is how sick I look. =(

• They started to nebulize me to ease my clogged nostrils/nasal passages
• Mom dropped by to check on my condition. She had to go home early because she wasn't feeling well after her dialysis that morning. She brought me some clothes because I had nothing with me when I was confined. When I went to the emergency room yesterday, I had no idea that I would be confined.
• My sister and her husband visited me and brought some food
• A friend brought salad made from camote tops. We call it "talbos ng kamote." The old folk say that this is good for improving the condition of one's blood. She also brought a drink that was produced my boiling the camote top leaves in water. Instead of drinking just water, I also drank this.
• I closely monitored my liquid intake and outflow.
• The nurse gave me Stilnox to make me sleep better.

Tuesday (October 2, 2012)

• Slept well. The medicine they gave me last night did its job.
• Test results came in: not good. My CBC was getting worse: dropped further. Funny thing was, my appetite was steadily improving. I ate a lot more than i did yesterday.
• I regained enough strength to allow me to move around on my own. Still weak, but not as weak as I was on the day I was admitted.
• My right hand was really swollen. Had to request the doctor to transfer the IV to my left hand. It was really, really painful. 
• Had a conference with the doctor. How they will treat me will depend on the results of my latest tests. She also said that there is a possibility that I might need blood transfusion if my platelet count becomes critical.
• When she got to the part that dealt with the costs, I nearly fell off the bed when I found out how expensive these medicines cost!
• Although my symptoms are similar the symptoms of dengue, the drop in the other CBC figures seem to point to something other than dengue. Just the same, she asked me to prepare two donors, just in case I needed a blood transfusion.
• Last nebulization session. Both nostrils are clear! I can breathe properly again! Woohoo!

Friends, may I ask that you please pray for me. Please pray that my CBC results fall within the normal range. Please pray that my SLE test turns out negative. Please pray that my hospital bill remains within the limits of my health card. Please pray that my health improves significantly over the next few days.

Thank you very much.

Boo!

Today I spent the whole day in bed, watching the news and playing the Smurf's village. My meeting this morning was cancelled.  

There's no typhoon, but the rain kept pouring non stop since Sunday. Now it's flooded all over Metro Manila. My family's safe, thank God.

Please pray for the others who lost their houses and other stuff because of the flood. Pray also for the others who lost a loved one because of this.

I hope the weather improves already.

Thankful Thursday

Yesterday morning I asked the Lord a question and I felt like a child asking God something.  I had a great day yesterday.  I went to the office and did some errands after work.

Today was different though.  It felt gloomy...  Must be the weather. But towards the end of the day I read something posted by a friend on FB that struck me.  It says in my language --- "Hindi pa ngayon anak, may perfect timing ako sayo -- God."  (Not now my child, I have a perfect timing for you -- God.)  

How perfect was that!  I got my question answered.  It was like God talking to me directly.  No, I wasn't disappointed at all with the Not now my child. In fact, I was even more excited with the I have a perfect timing for you.

God has a perfect way of answering us, sometimes though in the most odd ways. But He does answer!

Thank you, Lord!


What are you thankful for this week?

For more Thankful Thursday, visit Iris over at Grace Alone.

7-Days of Prayer and Fasting

It's 12:30 in the morning and I'm still wide awake. I guess it's the hot cocoa I had after dinner.  

We just finished our church's annual seven-day prayer and fasting.  As a church, we begin each new year with this. It is our way of humbling ourselves before God and consecrating to Him the upcoming year. It is also the time when we corporately come into agreement and believe together for breakthroughs in our personal lives, families, finances and churches.  I'm very excited for what God is going to do next in my life and how God is going to unfold the miracles I've been believing for.  

As early as January 2, even before we started fasting, God began showering me with blessings in the area of my work.  He has once again proven Himself faithful in His promise.

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."  Malachi 3:10

Fasting this year was difficult for me though.  It was really a struggle.  Because of the nature of my job, I had to exert much effort to bite my tongue and zip my lips when it was all too easy to let out ugly words than to simply smile.  We were all warned that as our body adjusts while we fast, there would be temporary bouts of mental annoyances like irritability.  Sometimes it felt more like it was beyond irritation.   But I thank God for His strength and His grace that I was able to make it to the finish line.  

If there's one thing I immediately got from this year's prayer and fasting, it's embracing the entirety of who God is.  Simply put, He is my everything.

Lord, thank you for the victory.  Thank you for my breakthroughs and miracles. I give you all the glory and the honor... Lord Jesus!

Fearless Friday

The week has gone so fast and it's Friday once again.

Today is my last day at work.  I'm excited to see what God is going to do in my life.  A bit scared because I'm getting out of my comfort zone. I know, it's FEARLESS FRIDAY and yet I feel a bit fearful.  That's just how I feel now, but I'm not going to dwell on it.  Also, I might not be able to blog and visit yours for a while, but will do so when I have the chance.

Please pray for me.

Thank you, my dear blogger friends, for all the support. I love y'all. I'll see you around. 

Link back to Angie at Free Spirit Haven for more Fearless Friday entries.

Thankful Thursday

It was a holiday here last Friday and it was so hot!  My family came over to my place to take a dip.  We had dinner, picnic style, beside the pool.  Spent some quality time together.  It was fun!

My nephews: Michael by himself at the back, with me is Andre wearing goggles and Fredrick giving me "horns".  lol

The following day, Saturday, I went to the gym with my friend to work out.  When I got home later that afternoon, I couldn't explain the sadness I felt.  I didn't know where that emotion came from and why it came about. It was just there.  So I prayed and asked God to speak to me, I asked Him what He wanted to tell me.

A thought came to my mind and I felt like God wanted me to sing.

I said, "What?  I feel like this and you want me to sing?" 

I thought that was odd so I asked again, "Are you sure you wanted me to sing?" 

Convincing me didn't take long.  After a few seconds, I said, "Okay, Lord, if that's what you want."

I turned the TV and DVD on and sang along with the Citipointe Live.  While singing "Forgiver", especially when I got to the chorus, I was overwhelmed not with sadness but with the realization of how much God loves me and how important I am to Him.  Tears welled up in my eyes.

Later on, I understood why God wanted me to sing.  Through singing, He reached out to me and reminded me of His love and my importance to Him.  He answered my prayer.

Lord, thank you!

I wish I can share a video of this song with you, but I can't find any.  Once I find one, I'll post it. 

What are you thankful for this week?

For more Thankful Thursday, visit Lynn over at Spiritually Unequal Marriage.

Who Is In Control?

I like what our pastor said last night. He said, "Whether you believe it or not; whether you accept it or not; whether you acknowledge it or not, doesn't matter.  God is still in charge."

"From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do."  Isaiah 46:11

"He changes times and seasons;  he sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning."  Daniel 2:21

These verses illustrates clearly that God has the power to fulfill everything He says and that He has the power to change anything.  God is in charge.  He is in control.

"This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut" Isaiah 45:1

He can use even a pagan king, King Cyrus, the appointed one, to facilitate His divine plan.  Here, it clearly illustrates that our unsaved loved ones can be used by God Almighty to carry out His righteous purpose.  God knows how to get their attention.  He is in control.

"'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55:8-9

He knows what He is doing.  He is in control.

As I reflected on these truths and pondered upon them,  I was encouraged to be reminded of these truths:

• God hears our prayers.
• He has a plan for us.
• He knows what He is doing.  He had everything planned out already.
• I can trust Him to do what He said He'll do.
• He is in complete control of anything and everything on this Earth including my life. He can destroy and restore. He has the power to do anything.
• He speaks not only to His people but to unbelievers and backsliders as well. 

Are you, like me, waiting for something you've been praying for for quite some time now?  Does it look like it's not going to happen anymore?  Does your situation look impossible?

Stand strong.  Keep believing.  Keep thanking Him because our due season is closer than we think. All those dreams and desires God wanted us to accomplish, those situations we are believing to see changed, will happen!  God can use unlikely situations or people to carry out His rescue.

Lord, I praise and honor you for what you have done and for what you're about to do in my life.  Thank you that you are in control.  Thank you that I can trust you with my dreams and desires you put in my heart to be fulfilled. I give you back all the glory.  In Jesus' mighty name, amen!

Please Pray

***UPDATE AS OF SEPT. 28 ***

Our friends are now safe but some of them have lost everything... =(
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I'd like to ask you, my friends, to please pray for us. A strong typhoon hit Metro Manila and a huge part of it was submerged under water. I thank the Lord for keeping me and my family safe but a lot of my friends were not. Some of them are still nowhere to be found and some were on the roof of their houses waiting to be rescued, all their properties have gone under water. We just got a text message a while ago that some of our friends haven't eaten yet. So many people died already.
Please pray for all of us.

Holding On

I wasn't really up to doing anything yesterday. Up until now while I'm typing this, my heart is hurting so bad. I'm fighting back tears. My story is not new to a lot of you who knows. My blog had become a collection of roller coaster of emotions, mostly struggles and pains. I pray to God that this will be changed in the days to come but right now this is the story of my life.

I feel so much pain. I cried out to God for justice since last night. God knows how much I desire to please Him and to give Him glory in everything I do. I know that God is also aware of the injustices being done to me by people whom I consider family. I was crying out to God last night during our prayer and worship. I know He sees everything. This verse kept repeating over and over again like a broken record in my head,

"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood." Isaiah 54:4

There's another verse but I couldn't remember from what chapter it was which our friend Angie kept quoting in her Fearless Friday posts, "...and you will not fear bad news."

In my heart I was asking God that He talk to me. I needed to hear from Him to get the heaviness off my chest... He did. He spoke to me in such a way that I wouldn't miss it. God reminded me that He will fight for me against my enemies and give me VICTORY. If God is for me who can be against me? The song we sang has a part there that says, "God will give back your wasted years." He reminded me through Pastor Mary from our church that He is a God of reconciliation and He heals broken relationships.

The enemy may seem to be winning. It just looks like it. But God will never allow me to be beaten up by them. Though it hurts, my God knows, I am still holding on believing for my breakthrough to come anytime soon.

"With God we will gain the victory, and he will trample down our enemies." Psalm 108:13

His Wife

I've joined Amy Verlennich's S.H.M.I.L.Y (See How Much I Love You) for 30 days of prayer using Stormie Omartian's book The Power of a Praying Wife. It started yesterday, June 1. If you're a wife or someone who wants to pray for her future husband, don't worry about the date, you can still join us. It's never too late. Visit Amy's site to answer your What, How and Why questions. I will be posting here lessons I've learned from time to time.

I love what it says after the foreword --- The Power...

We don't have authority over our husbands. However, we have been given authority "over all the power of the enemy" (Luke 10:19) and can do great damage to the enemy's plan when we pray.

You have the means to establish a hedge of protection around your marriage because Jesus said, "Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven" (Matthew 18:18).

Chapter 1 --- His Wife...

God will not change our husbands without changing us first. Transformation will begin with us wives as we pray for our husbands.

God can resurrect the deadest of marriages, but it takes humbling ourselves before Him and desiring to live His way --- forgiveness, kindness and love. It means letting go of the past and all hurt associated with it and being willing to lose the argument in order to win the battle.

Prayer brings unity even if you're not praying together.

The point is, whatever situation we're in, we have to believe the part of our relationship that has been eaten away by pain, indifference and selfishness can be restored. The power of Jesus is the very same power that will resurrect the dead places of our marriage and put life back into it. Nothing is impossible with Him. God's will is to break down all barriers and lift us up out of the pit we're in.

Wives, pray!!! This is our weapon and it is powerful.

"... Lord, give my husband a new wife, and let it be ME."

"Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart." Galatians 6:9

The Prayer Of Petition

I felt so loved by the messages you, my dear friends, left on my recent Thankful Thursday and Fearless Friday posts. Although my heart is crushed for what's happening in my marriage, my hope is still in the Lord. Yes, I have fears and worries. Who doesn't? But in spite of the pain, I'm choosing to trust His ways and His timing. It's not easy to live up to that, but with God's grace I know I can.

I want to share with you what I've learned last Friday about prayer from Jerry Savelle Ministries. It's so powerful. Here are my notes:

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

Note that Prayer is not designed to change God. It's designed to change circumstances. God doesn't need changing. God is not the problem.

There are three major weapons we have access to when we pray:

1. The Name of Jesus
2. The Word of God
3. The Holy Spirit

There are three divisions of prayer:

1. Prayer that changes things.
2. Prayer of thanksgiving and praise.
3. Prayer of dedication and worship.

The Prayer of Dedication is where we utter the words, "if it be thy will." Let's say you're sick, you don't pray, "Lord, if it be thy will, please heal me." We already know that it is God's will to heal us. It is written in Isaiah 53:5, "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." It's done. Let's say you don't know whether you should stay or go on mission, you then use the prayer of dedication and say, "Lord, if it be thy will, send me to that country." You're dedicating your plans to Him and of course as you dedicate, worship Him. Here you don't know the known will of God in that situation.

The Prayer of Thanksgiving is thanking God in advance for what He's about to do. That's our expression of faith, that even we haven't gotten hold yet of the answer, we are already thanking and praising Him for it.

The Prayer that changes things or also called the Prayer of Petition is a prayer prayed in faith. It is a prayer that refuses to be moved by what it sees. It is a prayer that will not allow negative circumstances to dictate whether or not you believe that prayer will come to pass. It is a prayer that changes the impossible to possible.

The question is how desperate are you for a breakthrough? No matter how impossible it is your facing now, don't give up! Don't lose heart! Why give up when you can pray?

What is a petition? It is a formal request. It is a formal request addressed to a person in authority asking for some grant or benefit. It is a formal application in writing.

How does a prayer of petition work?

1. Write down your prayer request. Yes, write it down like a formal contract.
2. Allow God's Word to be the final authority. Look for scriptures in the Bible that speaks about your situation or need. Quote them.
3. Present back to God what He already said.

The Prayer of Petition is so powerful because it is based on the will of God. We don't go around the bush wondering whether or not God will grant us our request. We know He will because we are praying according to His will.

This is not a magical formula like a name it-claim it thing. We are simply presenting to God our prayer requests, especially when what we're asking seem to not jive with what we can see in the natural. Remember, nothing is impossible with our God. He will make a way where there seem to be no way. Try God.

Here's a sample of a Prayer of Petition by Pastor Jerry Savelle.

His Loving Assurance

When we pray we expect answers. We all do.

Yesterday was no different. For several days I have been asking God to speak to me about my heart's desires. I knew He already did assure me of my stand in the past but I would like to hear Him speak to me again about these things. Do you feel like that sometimes, wanting to hear God talk to you about your heart's desires once again? I love it when God pours out His loving assurance that I'm on the right track.

I was searching the net looking for a Bible concordance where I could find what it says about marriage. I don't have that at the back of my Bible. I wanted to do this so that I could pray according to His will.

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him." 1 John 5: 14-15

As I searched, I was again led to Rejoice Ministries. I was already receiving daily devotional from them but I was behind with my reading. Yesterday, though, I had the urge to read the devotional for that day. I was so encouraged! God, again, answered my prayer. I'll share to you a line or two from that devotional. This was Bob, the once prodigal husband, talking:

"All the time God is moving, all the time He is calling out to your prodigal spouse to do what is right, the Holy Spirit is allowing glue, the cement of your one-flesh relationship with your spouse to keep memories of you alive and active in his heart. Try as we may, we prodigals simply cannot buy enough things, experience enough sin, make enough changes, nor find the replacement for you that will erase the memories of our covenant marriage, regardless of how we try."

"God simply will not allow us prodigals to forget a praying and standing spouse, sold out to living like Jesus and trusting Him for the right time."

And I thought I was already happy with that, but there's one more.

Before I went to bed last night, I got a text message from a friend. He texted me his prayer. He said in the latter part of his message, "God is already working on your husband. Don't worry." My heart was already doing jumping jacks, you have no idea. I texted him back and asked, "Why did you text me what you just did? I'm just curious." He replied, "God spoke to me and told me to pray for those in difficult situations, so I did."

Coincidence? No, it's not. It's God winking at me again. Isn't He awesome? He knows our heart's desires.

"The LORD has heard my cry for mercy; the LORD accepts my prayer." Psalm 6:9

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