Critical Prayer Point

I would greatly appreciate your prayer on my behalf right now.

Two days ago, I began to experience the onset of bowel obstruction. You may remember from my posts in January and February that this is what sent me twice into hospital earlier this year.

It came to the point, on Saturday night, of deciding whether I should go into hospital. I couldn't eat or drink, which meant that I was getting dehydrated. My vertigo had returned with a vengeance (this has nothing directly to do with my cancer, but is a separate condition I'm fighting at the moment), and I was feverish. My doctor recommended that if the fever didn't break, I would need to admit myself into hospital.

My family, and many others, were praying earnestly. My fever broke, I began to be able to eat small portions - and more importantly, to drink fluids - and I felt my strength returning.

Over the last 48 hours or so, however, I've experienced a number of breakthroughs and apparent reversals. On Sunday morning, for example, I had a high fever, was feeling nauseous, and although I could eat and drink small portions, I knew that the bowel obstruction was not yet fully over.

I went before the Lord personally in prayer, asking him why I was experiencing these breakthroughs, followed by reversals. The Lord took me to the story of Joshua's battle with the Amalekites in Exodus 17:8-13. In verse 11, we read:

"As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning."

While Moses prayed with hands lifted up, the battle went for Joshua, but when his hands lowered, the battle went against Joshua. This is, I believe, a picture of what I'm facing right now, and we as a family and a church have taken up the challenge to pray through to full outworking of the victory we have in Jesus Christ.

There are two possible outcomes for me this week:

1. I end up in hospital (which may mean surgical intervention)
2. I come through this crisis in full victory (and, I'm praying, full healing)

Obviously, we want to see the second, not the first. Prayer is what will make the critical difference between these two outcomes.

Just to put you in the picture, so that you know how to pray, at present, I'll share with you what I'm facing. I'm battling potential fever (obviously not all the time, but on occasions), vertigo, nausea, increased pain, as well as potential bowel obstruction. Since Saturday, I'm now eating and drinking, which is a major miracle in itself, but my stomach is extremely loud (much gurgling and other noises). I can also feel the lump of the cancer in my stomach. Furthermore, I've lost another 5 kg (11 lbs). I'm down now to 63 kg (138 lbs), so obviously I'm praying to see this reversed very quickly.

Pain has intensified, but is largely still under control. Every time I feel pain, I call Elena and my parents, and we pray together, and the pain immediately lifts. But like Joshua's story in Exodus 17:8-13, this is an ongoing fight of faith and prayer, until the Lord's resolution comes fully through.

I'm experiencing extraordinary grace from the Lord. I should have been in hospital already, but the Lord has rescued me from this, and I continue to look to him for the complete resolution. I believe that this is not just a battle over my life, but I am on the frontline of what God is going to do in many, many more lives. I'll share more about this later.

Thanks for joining me on the frontline in prayer and intercessory warfare.

David

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Praise Report - Aubrey Winstead

Some news for those who have been praying for little Aubrey Winstead...

Praise the Lord!!!

Aubrey's protein levels have been going up!!! So, they are sending us home today and we are trusting that she will no longer have this issue...

We have an appt on Tuesday to follow-up... They will be checking her protein levels... If they aren't good enough, they want to re-admit us... So, please pray for good news!

This has been a rollercoaster but we are so thankful to have your support and prayers every step of the way... God is so good and we are so thankful for His answered prayers and healing!

Love, the Winsteads

Jacob and Carissa
Winstead
jakencaris@earthlink.net

Let's keep lifting up Aubrey before the Lord's throne of grace!

David

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Prayer for Aubrey Winstead

I've been praying for little Aubrey Winstead (3 1/2 years old) for some three and a half years now. She is the granddaughter of two dear friends of mine, Skip and Terri Weir (see http://www.weironamission.org).

Little Aubrey was born with a congenital heart defect, which has required countless surgical interventions -- and far more suffering than any 3 year old should endure. My situation pales into insignificance when compared to what Aubrey and her family must endure.

For this reason, I felt it important to share their prayer request on the Prayer Firewall, and I ask you to take up Aubrey's cause in intercession before the throne of God. Here is the latest news report that I've received from Skip and Terri.

First the good news: We were able to get enough pictures on the echo for them to be satisfied and we do not have to do a sedated one tomorrow... So, thank goodness for that!

The not so good: Aubrey is still suffering from the **Protein-Losing Enteropathy Secondary to Congestive Heart Failure which is causing her protein levels to be low... The problem with her protein levels being low is that it allows the water in her blood to seep out of her veins and it can leak into her lungs and around her heart causing heart failure... Since she hasn't been eating, she's not getting the nutrition she needs to help that level go up... But the problem can persist whether or not she eats what she needs to... If they find that this surgery has not helped to resolve the problem and a better diet also does not cure it, they will have to do another catheterization in a couple months... If they still cannot find a resolution for the protein loss issue, the only option left is a heart transplant... For now, they are giving her albumen (which replaces the protein in her blood) through her iv and hoping that with that replacement and a better diet (along with time for her body to adjust since the surgery) she will stop having this complication... In the mean time, we are waiting and our hospital stay has been extended until Friday or later depending on what progress they see...

Soooooo, we need prayer! We just need this protein loss complication to cease and desist! Please pray over Aubrey's mental and emotional stability so that she can be happy, calm, and return to her normal behavior and diet... The prospect of more tests and a longer hospital stay is very emotionally taxing on all of us... And the idea of facing a heart transplant is unbearable... So, we are asking you to believe for Aubrey's total and complete healing with us and just lift her body and spirit up in prayer with us... We are asking for and believing for a miracle to put an end to Aubrey's suffering and allow her a long, healthy, happy life! Thank you for your persistence in prayer with us and for the showered support... We are so blessed!

**Protein-losing Enteropathy (PLE)The abnormal loss of protein in the stool, resulting in crampy abdominal pain, diarrhea, fluid retention and swelling of the abdomen, extremities and eyelids. PLE is a rare complication of the Fontan operation, and occasionally other forms of congenital heart disease.

If you would like to encourage the Weir/Winstead family, find out more information, or subscribe to their regular updates, you can contact them directly at weirfamily@weironamission.org.

The Experience of Vertigo

Over the last few days (since Monday), I've been experiencing acute vertigo. If I shift my head to either side, but particularly to the right, or if I tilt my head back, the world suddenly seems to spin violently, and I feel extremely nauseous. Dr Sook Lin Lee, my family doctor, made a home visit tonight, and she was able to diagnose it as "benign paroxysmal positional vertigo" (click here if you want more details on this condition).

Apparently the condition will clear itself up in the next few days, although it means I have to be careful walking, and can't drive at the moment. I'm taking a positive stand on this. As far as I'm concerned, these are just the throes of an enemy who knows he's defeated. PTL!

An Answer to Prayer

As I shared in my last post, "A Call to Prayer", my family and I are currently pressing through in prayer to see my healing finalised -- sooner rather than later.

One of the mini-milestones was this last Sunday (July 2). Over the last couple of weeks, my health had noticeably deteriorated, and the previous Sunday (June 25), I was unable to fulfil my morning preaching slot. Instead, I had to spend the entire day in bed, the last place I wanted to be. Not only that, but come evening, my health still hadn't recovered enough to make it to the evening service. Not good.

So I was really looking to the Lord for divine intervention for yesterday. For me, this was a big deal. I was slated to preach in both the morning and the evening, and so I was lifting this before the Lord in earnest prayer. Come yesterday, however, I was still not all that well, but unlike the previous Sunday I was at least able to get up, and so I took the step of faith and arrived at church Sunday morning, ready to preach. And the Lord answered my prayer in a wonderful way. I was able to minister, and minister well, in both the morning and evening services.

Not only that, but even when I've successfully ministered on previous Sundays, this has usually knocked me out. I've often had to take all Monday, and sometimes even Tuesday too, to recover. But this Sunday was different. After each service yesterday, I didn't feel drained at all. And come today, I was bouncing back without any major negative symptoms at all.

Small step, true, but it's an important one for me.

I really appreciate you joining me in prayer for this. Thank you for your compassion, your faith and your stand with me at this time. This last two days have been very positive. Still experiencing pain, and some nausea at times, but each time we pray, it lifts. And so I continue to look to the Lord for the completion of the healing. I'm really looking forward to perfect health, and I'm asking for nothing less.

Yours in the wonder of His love and grace,

David