This year has gone by so quickly.
I have repeatedly attempted to post more, but it seems as if things always conspire against me to keep me from doing that. This year has been no different.
Back in February my husband was diagnosed with a growth on one of his kidneys, and some smaller stones that needed to be surgically removed.
We spent most of our time following this diagnosis doing the work around the house and gardens that he would not be capable of doing for weeks after his surgery. From weeding and mulching, to planting flowers to laying down a stone path; we made sure we got all the tough, strenuous chores done.
Our neighbors had a tree cut down and Bill has been using the logs to make gnome houses.
He went through test after test and finally had surgery the last of May. He was in the VA Hospital in Syracuse for a week.
Just inside the doors of the Syracuse VA Hospital
This was a trying time for both of us. He was anxious about the surgery, and I was nervous about driving to Syracuse each day.
Interstate 81, Syracuse, NY
But God is faithful, and answered each prayer in a way that I know could only have been His doing. From keeping the rain away until I was home in the evenings so I didn’t have to drive through it, to getting me safely through Interstate 81 and the section of Syracuse that is known for drug related crimes and murders, to making sure Bill pulled through and healed properly. Recent follow-up tests show that things are still clear. He is scheduled for another test at the end of September and I am trusting the Lord to bring about a good result from this one also.
We took two days to make day trips to the St. Lawrence River. I love the area and had not been there in many years; so we decided to take a day and make the drive. We enjoyed it so much, we took another day the following month and went again.
Thousand Islands Bridge, Alexandria Bay, NY
Also, the past few months, I have felt a burden to really apply myself to intercessory prayer; for President Trump, for the nation, for the church worldwide and at home, for my friends and family. I have been reading books on prayer – D.L. Moody, E.M. Bounds, Andrew Murray – and really learning what is required of us in our prayer life; what it takes to pray within God’s will and have Him hear our prayers.
I have to admit that reading these books has made me realize just how shallow my prayer life has been, just how much I did not know about effective prayer. Make no mistake, I have been praying, but I have realized that there is much room for improvement. I have asked the Holy Spirit to lead me, to guide me, to teach me how to pray fervently, effectively and humbly. And praise God, I am learning, and growing and becoming a prayer warrior through His leading!
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:15
© Drusilla Mott and https://drusillamott.wordpress.com, 2017
