Chemo Results and Prayer
I read here that, "A complete remission was achieved in 211 patients (22%)...," by only chemotherapy. The rest became cancer-free after radiation, bone marrow transplants, etc. or died (10%). Considering I had more of an end stage (3B) cancer w/ a bulky mass in the mediastinum, a high wbc count, and low rbc count (all three of those hurt a person's odds), that makes what God did all the more remarkable. I think it might have all been taken care of by the midpoint of chemo too, since my midpoint ct scan and ending ct scan look identical.
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One thing I learned during this past three years is how to pray. I say that somewhat jokingly, because, from what I have read, to pray effectively is to admit that it can't be done on my own. It requires the Holy Spirit to take over to keep me focused. After spending much time reading different prayer books (like Mighty Prevailing Prayer by Wesley Deuwel and Prayer by O. Hallesby), God showed that the purpose of prayer and pretty much everything in general is to give Him glory. I can choose to fight that and continue to ask prayer requests based off of my desires for convenience, ease of life, etc., or I can choose to change the prayer requests or the motives behind by prayer requests. I have NEVER seen prayer requests answered like I have after God taught me and showed me how to apply that. I realized that I could ask for something from Him based off of a prideful desire to have it and never see the manifestation of the request, but that I could also ask for that same thing and see God answer the request differently, because I was asking for that thing to show God's power in my life.
Of course, there is more to it than that. I learned the power of words. Life and death are in the power of the tongue, so I learned the power of speaking out negatively against something that I prayed for or complaining about the situation in thought or in word. It seems that would be two sure-fire ways to never see a request answered - just read the stories of the Israelites in the book of Numbers. I learned that apart from God I can do nothing. I MUST abide in Him, if I am ever going to see prayer requests answered. I also think that all of the people praying for me had a lot to do with the different prayer requests* I saw answered. Lastly, I also think that God has a lot of natural laws that he put on this earth. It is our job to go by them or pay the results. To spend one's life eating junk food, never exercising, having different emotional toxicities, amalgum fillings, having poor sleeping habits, be addicted to caffeine, smoke, drink, play around w/ asbestos, etc., etc., etc.**, then having that person blame God for why they got cancer and someone else didn't is just plain ridiculous. It also isn't fair to God. God put natural laws governing this planet and we can either choose to go by them or pay the consequences.
*Note: when I say prayer requests, I am referring to all sorts of little things that God answered, not just the big ones. I saw many answered prayers for lost items and other "small" requests. I believe God cares deeply about every area of my (and yours) life and wants to bless me in all areas, to give Him the glory.
**Note: I am by no means perfect on all these things, I am definetly a work in progress. Praise God, I am not wear I used to be, but, praise God, this is not how I'll end up.
I wrote all of that to say this. Praise God that my PET scan showed I am cancer-free. To Him be the glory. Some of the myriad of ways the glory goes to Him are... showing me things I was doing wrong to get into this mess, helping me to change in many, many areas, stopping the horrific itching (I can't find any reason to think that the chemo or anything else did it), provided complete peace during what would outwardly look like a massive storm, providing me parents that looked out for me and took care of me during this time, providing a benevolent guy who paid for a lot of my supplements during chemo, taking care of the vast majority of the cancer bills, showing me how to change my perspective on life, health, etc., changed my taste buds so I really enjoy what I eat, liberating me of the spiritual warfare through a deliverance ministry I went to a couple of years ago, and so on and so forth.
Pray also for me during radiation and my upcoming PET scan which will be done at the place that didn't show a definitive result. There is no guarantees that this one won't show inconclusively again. So if you could pray for that, I would greatly appreciate it. Also pray for my esophagus and lungs during radiation. Pray for God's glory to be displayed in my body through outstanding protection for my organs.
Have some thoughts/comments on what I said or on prayer? Feel free to post. That is, if blogger has fixed their comments. I think I am allowing anonymous comments now, but sign your name if you would. That way you don't have to get a username to comment.
******************************
One thing I learned during this past three years is how to pray. I say that somewhat jokingly, because, from what I have read, to pray effectively is to admit that it can't be done on my own. It requires the Holy Spirit to take over to keep me focused. After spending much time reading different prayer books (like Mighty Prevailing Prayer by Wesley Deuwel and Prayer by O. Hallesby), God showed that the purpose of prayer and pretty much everything in general is to give Him glory. I can choose to fight that and continue to ask prayer requests based off of my desires for convenience, ease of life, etc., or I can choose to change the prayer requests or the motives behind by prayer requests. I have NEVER seen prayer requests answered like I have after God taught me and showed me how to apply that. I realized that I could ask for something from Him based off of a prideful desire to have it and never see the manifestation of the request, but that I could also ask for that same thing and see God answer the request differently, because I was asking for that thing to show God's power in my life.
Of course, there is more to it than that. I learned the power of words. Life and death are in the power of the tongue, so I learned the power of speaking out negatively against something that I prayed for or complaining about the situation in thought or in word. It seems that would be two sure-fire ways to never see a request answered - just read the stories of the Israelites in the book of Numbers. I learned that apart from God I can do nothing. I MUST abide in Him, if I am ever going to see prayer requests answered. I also think that all of the people praying for me had a lot to do with the different prayer requests* I saw answered. Lastly, I also think that God has a lot of natural laws that he put on this earth. It is our job to go by them or pay the results. To spend one's life eating junk food, never exercising, having different emotional toxicities, amalgum fillings, having poor sleeping habits, be addicted to caffeine, smoke, drink, play around w/ asbestos, etc., etc., etc.**, then having that person blame God for why they got cancer and someone else didn't is just plain ridiculous. It also isn't fair to God. God put natural laws governing this planet and we can either choose to go by them or pay the consequences.
*Note: when I say prayer requests, I am referring to all sorts of little things that God answered, not just the big ones. I saw many answered prayers for lost items and other "small" requests. I believe God cares deeply about every area of my (and yours) life and wants to bless me in all areas, to give Him the glory.
**Note: I am by no means perfect on all these things, I am definetly a work in progress. Praise God, I am not wear I used to be, but, praise God, this is not how I'll end up.
I wrote all of that to say this. Praise God that my PET scan showed I am cancer-free. To Him be the glory. Some of the myriad of ways the glory goes to Him are... showing me things I was doing wrong to get into this mess, helping me to change in many, many areas, stopping the horrific itching (I can't find any reason to think that the chemo or anything else did it), provided complete peace during what would outwardly look like a massive storm, providing me parents that looked out for me and took care of me during this time, providing a benevolent guy who paid for a lot of my supplements during chemo, taking care of the vast majority of the cancer bills, showing me how to change my perspective on life, health, etc., changed my taste buds so I really enjoy what I eat, liberating me of the spiritual warfare through a deliverance ministry I went to a couple of years ago, and so on and so forth.
Pray also for me during radiation and my upcoming PET scan which will be done at the place that didn't show a definitive result. There is no guarantees that this one won't show inconclusively again. So if you could pray for that, I would greatly appreciate it. Also pray for my esophagus and lungs during radiation. Pray for God's glory to be displayed in my body through outstanding protection for my organs.
Have some thoughts/comments on what I said or on prayer? Feel free to post. That is, if blogger has fixed their comments. I think I am allowing anonymous comments now, but sign your name if you would. That way you don't have to get a username to comment.
posted by Seltzer at 1:07 AM
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