Pray against fear and for health

On July 1 (Thursday) i have to go have a spot removed on my lower back. I am nervous about the procedure - but i am more afraid of the results of the test after they send it to be tested for malignancy.I have know about this for a couple of weeks and some days the fear of "what if" just overtakes me sometimes. I have to battle this fear of not knowing anything yet. The spot is irritated and not normal (says the Dr.) It is hard for me not to think about it all the time. Mostly I have to pray for a spirit of peace to cover me- and I also think about how i don't want to let the enemy keep me in fear and hinder my joy and my light to others.I am at the highest risk for skin cancer because I am fair, blond and have had tons of sun exposure all of my life.Please pray however you feel led. Thank you.In His love, Chanin

I'll pray for you.

1 "Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.. He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, `Show us the Father'?... 10 "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works. 11 "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves. 12 "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. 13 "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it. 15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. 16 "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever¡Ä 25 "These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.John 1413 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. James 5

I'll be praying for you as well Chanin. I'm beginning to see in my own life that difficult situations are opportunities for us to more fully trust in Christ. That's my hope for you as well.

Will pray for you. According to our faith be it unto us. Bible tells us that we have a better testament which is a "will". James tells us by the Holy Spirit: confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that ye may be healed. The effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Scripture tells us by James to go to the elders of the church, and let them pray for you and anoint you with oil, in the name of the LORD. We must believe that healing is for today. Christ's body, and stripes upon him are for our healing, bruising for our iniquities. I believe that our LORD took on that terrible beating for us today. If we believe he died for our sins on the cross then we must also believe that we are healed by his stripes. Matthew 8:16-17 God's ability is in his words to us. I believe it's not "will he" or "can he". The Bible tells us that it is his will, and I know that he can! For I have been healed. So I lift you to the LORD who is our healer. Believe on his word to be Absolute; for God cannot lie. All praise and glory be to the LORD Jesus Christ our saviour! Brother Raven

Sister Chanin,Know that the Lord is very near, always.Know that you have the prayers of many."Remember the Word to Your servant, on which You have caused me to hope. This is my comfort in my affliction; for Your Word has given me life."Psa 119:49,50

Thank you all! I will probably repost/reply on Thursday morning before I go to the Dr.s.- for a little added reminder during my visit. I could use all the help I can get! :-) I will take some of these verses with me to concentrate on while I'm there- so I don't freak out completely and decide to leave. :-? I really want to learn to trust Him more through this- just as Ed said. I feel silly being a christian and being this afraid- ha, what an example. :-? I have had alot of negative experiences with hospitals/dr.s/medications.No doubt, I will get through this. The Lord did not bring me all this way for nothing.Thank you all again!In His perfect love, chanin

I want to add my agreement in prayer also!God Bless Chanin!

Wanted to keep this up and in prayer tis morning!God Bless,-Robert

Hi ChaninThis verse came to mind...'Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days... (Rev 2:10 NASB)The point here is that wordly wisdom often takes refuge in phrases like; cheer up, it may not happen. God's encouragement is never vague or random. To this church He had predicted trial, but, and this is the point...He knew that fear of the future could do more damage than the future itself. Every test that you have experienced is the kind that normally comes to people. But God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you with a way out. (1Co 10:13 GNB) Every trial he leads us into has its fixed duration. There's an old hymn referring to the Smyrna church above which has a line which says..if God hath set their number ten, they ne'er shall be eleven. What can you pray? I don't think you can pray 'Lord, don't let it be...' but you can pray 'Lord, whatever this is, we can handle it'.Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted. (Isa 12:2-4 KJV)

Hi fellow brothers and sisters(don't know how many we have of those? :)I am bringing this back up because tomorow morning at 10:30am I am to have my procedure done. I am really praying that I will be filled with His presence - and His peace (so I don't run out of the office :) No, really, I believe that if I am filled with His presence, that I will be ok. I am trusting the Lord to walk through this with His hand upon me.I would so appreciate if you might pray for this for me as well. The prayers of a righteous man avail much (comes to mind here).Thanks so much for your caring thoughts and remarks and prayers.Satisfied in Him alone, Chanin

Fear not only believe.

Will be praying for you Chanin.You are in good hands.

ChaninI received this in the post today, and thought of you...The Lord appeared to Abraham and said"I am El Shaddai", God All Sufficient.Down into the depths of this, Thy Name,My God I sink and dwell in calm delight.Thou art enough, however long the day;Thou are enough, however long the night.Thou art my God, the inexhaustible One;Thou can'st create for me whate'er I lack.Having Thyself, I have a sure supply.Thy mighty hand hath strewn the backward trackWith miracles of love and tender care for me, Thy trusting one,My God, I dare once more to fling myself upon Thy breast,And find in Thee a perfect peace and rest.

I shared this verse with someone else but I thought it might encourage you as well. 2 Chronicles 20:17 Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.Yes, Chanin the battle is His and He will be with you today.

Oh, wow- is all I can say. I can't say that it wasn't terrible- for me it was. But the worst part is hearing "this looks like melanoma, but it could also be a pigment 'whatever'" (didn't catch the whole name).I came home and grieved for a while but i am doing better. I am going to try not to think too much about it until I get the test results. The real problem I have is knowing what other procedures have to be done IF the test come back as cancerous. I barely made it through this procedure without totally losing it.I am praying that if it is the Lord's will that He might take this cup from me- but then again, It is His will- not mine.Thank you all for your prayers. I can't imagine what i would have been like without them. Probably would have chickened out or fainted all together (which I almost did anyway). They want to try to get me to take a sedative before they do these things- but i didn't. I want it to be the Lord who is my only sedative. He is my rock.The Lord has seen fit to give me something really positive at this time to help keep my mind off of all of this- Nancy DeMoss's new book called "Holiness" just came out and I bought a copy last night. Yeah!!!!! I've been waiting for it!Blessings to you all and may the Lord be more real to you each day that passes!!!!In His perfect love, Chanin

Dear sister Chanin,Just wanted to encouarge you. First things first. Will continue to pray and in the mean time in this 'unknown' time of awaiting may the Lord grant you His peace.No need to go into all the details because we know nothing yet, but my mom is still going through her treatment and is doing very well.After brain surgery, there is/was two other areas and they were diagnosed as melanoma. One is gone and the other will require a bit more treatment.Also my mother-in-law has breast cancer and is also doing very well.So what am I trying to say?Have no fear.Regardless of what may or may not happen I know that in both these cases it was the prayers of the saints that affected the outcome, without a doubt. Your prayers Chanin as well as others here for which I will always be greatful.Knowing this, that you have our prayers to butress you in this time and into whatever the future may hold, may they help to ease your mind and calm your soul.

Hi ChaninThen Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer, saying, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us. (1Sa 7:12 KJV)Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. (Heb 13:5-6 KJV)Be sure you 'boldly say it'... there is a time for praying and sometimes just a time for saying...

Just wanted to update:The Dr. called this morning and said that the lesion removed was positive for melanoma. The good thing is that it did not go as deep as some he has seen. He got the whole thing out.Now , I must go to a specialist to do some test with radioactive dye and test some lymph nodes to see if it has spread at all. By God's grace I hope that will be all clear- then nothing will have to be removed.You should have seen me in the surgery room while waiting for the dr. and nurse last week. When i get panicky, I have to pace- or walk around. So I paced back and forth and sang "Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!" I am sure they thought I was a mental case. :-) But it helped! I will be doing the same thing when I go back in for more tests. Please pray with me that God's presence will be with me and fill the rooms I am in so that I might be a light to those I am with (Dr's and nurses included). May He get all the glory!Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement!In the palm of His hand, Chanin

Hello Sister,It is good to hear from you. My prayer is that God will sustain you through this time of trial and I know He will. Your contributions and presence on this forum has been missed the last few days. My prayer is that God will greatly strengthen you and even carry you through this valley. Always remember- the Psalmist said- "though I walk through the valley... " that means that you will not always be in that valley. You are going THROUGH it. What is the worst thing that can happen to any of us in this life? The sufferings are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed. God Bless and Prayers,-Robert

Robert,The funny thing is that as I layed down for that first (terrifying in my mind) incision- the first thing that went through my mind was "and though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." and what is the rest "I will not fear". God is teaching me so much about trusting Him. Even though I knew it all in my head- I am now having to experience it first hand. I actually feel honored to go through these times as I see the hand of the Lord helping me and building me up in Him. All I can say is that He is so good to me, I know He will not give me more than I can handle and these are opportunities to grow in His likeness and to show His mighty power through a person who could do nothing of herself.I have pretty much known all along in my spirit that it would be melanoma- but that I would not die. That yes, it is just another valley to be used to glorify Him as I rise up out of it.Thanks so much for your kind words.In Him, Chanin

Hi Chanin,Will keep on praying for you, let us know when you go back in. Also, loved your witnesing techniques, though that may not have been your intention :-)

At this point the Drs. want to go in and test the lymph nodes (whatever is closest to that spot) which would require them to remove them. :-( My husband's dear friend is against this and has recommneded that i go to a place called the Cole Center which is a holistic treatment center here in Cinci.His wife had breast cancer in the mid 90's and is now cancer free- but they did not take any lymph nodes out. He says this can cause further health problems down the road (not draining properly and lowering the immune system.)What is upsetting to me is that there is a blood test that can be done to test for cancer- yet the Dr's do not do this- they opt for surgery right away. We are looking into this Cole Center.I am really praying for the Lord's leading in this situation. I am trusting that He will show us what He wants done. does anyone have any info or experience with this?In Him, Chanin

this posting is not in the wrong section, although it may seem so...When the risen Christ speaks to His churches in the book of Revelation He always reveals Himself in a way which is uniquely appropriate to the hearers. Each letter has a little discription of the writer. To Philadelphia He reveals Himself as the one who has the 'key of David'. Philadelphia is the church with a little strength, but which held on. His words are to 'him (or her) that heareth'. So to all who go through experiences where they feel they have 'a little strength' there is a word here for you.He has the key of David. To understand that reference you need to read Isaiah 22 where you will discover that 'having the key of David' is actually a way of describing the Royal Treasurer. In Isaiah an unfaithful treasurer is sacked and a worthy replacement is given the 'key of the house of David'. The treasurer has all the king's wealth at his disposal, as well probably as the Royal Armoury. He can open the treasury and make its wealth available to whom he will. There is only one key; the whole of the treasury is under his personal control; no one else is consulted or their permission asked. He has the key... He openeth and no man shutteth, and closeth and no man openeth... No one can take this key, it is His by right.Christ is heaven's treasurer. All power and authority has been given to Him and is at his personal disposal. At times were are painfully conscious of our lacks, and we say 'I do not have... faith, patience, love, power... ' What does it matter what I don't have, if He has the key of David. All heaven's resources are open to us through the personal stewardship of the Son.If all this sounds a little complicated, here is a simpler version... "My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" Phil 4:19

Ron, I think I see what you are getting at, and it may be even confirming what i believe the Lord is trying to show me Himself.I believe He is trying to get me to trust in Him totally and soley for my strength and for my hope, etc... not even one ounce of striving or mustering up any strength or courage in my own strength/flesh will helpme- or if it does help it is still not His will for it to be.I had a dream last night about a girl i used to know who ran all the time. She was a terrific runner, I always wished I could run like that. In my dream she was running terribly (terrible form, awkward) She had lost her running form. Then she was very upset that her horse had died (she really did not have one in real life). She was so distraught about this. Her running had died along with the horse.I see that a horse represents fleshly strength just as the running represented maybe striving (she ran to look good and keep her weight down).Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together. Is.31:1&3A horse is a vain hope for safety; Neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Ps. 33:17I see the Lord is wanting me to "give up", surrender, and not even to try to "fight" this in my own ways. Just rest in Him and trust that He is able to do what He wants to do.Does this seem right? I know I am getting somewhere with all of this. I am learning TRUST as I've never known it before.Ron, you are right, He will supply all my needs, especially if I let Him. :)Hidden in Him, Chanin

I want to let everyone who has held me up in their prayers, that after removing a bigger area on my lower back, the tests have come back that this surrounding area is cancer-free! Praise the Lord!!!!!! I can't tell you what I have been through emotionally, spiritually and physically in the last few weeks. Unfortunately, after learning how deadly that melanoma can be, I had a major breakdown last Thursday caused by emotional stress that I am still feeling some effects from that. Honestly, I felt like I was a total wimp through out the whole thing- yet I prayed and sang and did what ever I could (and I know I had the prayers of others). I was so sorry that I was not a better witness for the Lord with my emotional strength- yet everyone around me heard and saw my devotion to my Lord. I took praise songs in my c.d. player into the surgery room, I prayed outloud while the Dr.s did surgery. In my weakness, the Lord was strong. In my wimpiness, He still got the glory. :)There are some tests which I could still have done in my lymph nodes, but after researching this procedure and feeling peace from the Lord on this- I have opted to be content that it is all gone. There are too many "ifs" about this node biopsy that my husband and I do not feel comfortable with. Hence, there is a chance that the melanoma could spread through the blood- but the possibilty in this case would be rare. I am trusting the Lord on this one and will not undergo unnecessary procedures that might risk other things. I thank you all for your prayers!!! I thank the Lord for His goodness. After I got the good news, I wanted so badly to repay Him with something, offer Him some sweet smelling sacrifice- but all I could do was give Him myself, again completely. I know that is not good enough- yet I know that He loves me enough to count it as sweet-smelling.I do want to let you know also that last year, I had a dream that 3 different tidal waves came crashing down on me, one after the other. I knew to hold my breath and to swim to the top each time. With the third tidal wave, I did not reach the top. I was under water still- alive but under water. I said to myself "Am i dead?". In reality- with each tidal wave has come a huge trial, and with each tidal wave, I held my breath and in my own strength swam to the top to "breath on my own". With this last tidal wave, there was no way, in my own strength that i could make it to the top and live again like I did before, with my own breath. This time it took me down and I was completely engulfed in the water. He wanted to be my breath, He didn't want me to live by my own breathing, by my own strength. Though I thought I was dead to "self" before and not really living in my own strength anymore. Now I see that I still had some of "me" still hanging on. Some vanities, etc... If I live now, it is Him living in me. I feel like I, as I once was, exist no more. He is my breath, He is my life. My "self" is in his hands for Him to do what He pleases with. I honestly thought I meant that before all of this happened, but now I see that He knows our hearts better than we do. He knows what it takes to get us to die to "self". He also knows how much we can handle and will not allow more than this. Whatever the enemy meant for me through all of this- praise God, the Lord means to do so much better!Thanks again and blessings to you all!In Him, Chanin

Praise God!If it had been the Lord's time to take you home, knowing you were in a more blessed state than you could ever know here would've made it easier to deal with, but this place would sorely miss one of God's greatest tools in building us up.