Original Prayer

My mother is retired and recently had another cancer scare, my father died unexpectedly from a heart attack not long ago and their pet dog had to be put down. They had moved to a small town where they had spent most of their holidays and my mother does not know many people there. She is able bodied but family and financial problems are wearing her down. Like my father, my mother is a caring loving person always willing to help others. (The kind of person who wonders if she left a suitable tip for the waitress) My mother has difficulty asking for or receiving help her self. She would rather someone more needy than her receive the help. I pray that she will find more friends and that the family and financial problems work out for her sake.

Submitted by Lee on 18 Feb 2004

Responses

Dear Lee, May I offer you and your mother my condolences, she must be feeling very low in her spirit having to endure such hardships at a time where she most needs comfort. If you are able to find a book by Merlin Carrothers entitled "Power in Praise " (a Christian Book Shop should help you) please but it and read it (you and mother). I feel the love God wishes to show your mother and I know he has a perfect plan for her. The book tells us how God can overcome all our difficult circumstances if we first praise him for allowing them to happen to us. God wishes for us to let go of everything - all our concerns and worries and cast all our cares on him, so we realise that we need to live by putting our faith in him every single day of our lives, and for us to realise that the only real thing we need in our lives is the Lord, he will provide everything else. Please be encouraged by this verse from 1 Thessalonians Chp 5 vse 16 - " Be joyful always, pray at all times, be Thankful in ALL circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus ". I can testify in my own life that praising God for all circumstances has been a real blessing for me, remember there can be no testament without a test. I know God will surround your mother with perfect love if she is able to do this. God bless you.

Submitted by Simon Brown on 25 Mar 2004