Prayer for a terminally ill man & family

[faith88]

This weekend I stayed with a friend and her husband. They are not Christian and my friend, who has bad arthritis, had a bad experience going to a "religious" school where the discipline was far too harsh.

Her husband, Alan, has terminal cancer and a heart condition. He is still "hanging on in there" through sheer determination, even though he wasn't expected to survive longer than Christmas.

He has bad nights and anxiety attacks though.

While I was there, I prayed for Alan, secretly and the next day
he said he had had a good night's sleep. I decided to tell his wife I'd prayed. She believes in "the power of prayer" although she isn't a Christian and wants nothing to do with "religion" as she calls it.

Her daughter, although she is a good mother to her children and very kind to friends, is VERY antagonistic towards people who are Christian and speak about it. She has actually told me that people should be allowed to believe what they like, and that it "makes her angry" when Christians talk about their faith. She has warned me not to- and says that otherwise we'll get on well!!!

Please pray for Alan that he may feel God's presence and seek and respond to Jesus. Pray for all the objections this family have to Christianity to be removed and all the hurts experienced at the hands of "religious" people who were so unloving and can not have been true Christian at all.

[MIRIAM JACOB]

I am praying for this family. They need the love of Christ so much in their hearts and lives, especially with Alan's illness. May God open their eyes to see His love. Only Christ can give health and healing for body and soul.

I pray for you too, Pauline. I thank God for the great burden for souls that you have in your heart. May God use you mightily in His kingdom. Do keep in touch when you can. I am praying for you & your family. God bless.

[faith88]

Allan and Pat desparately need prayers again. Allan is now very ill indeed and it looks as if the end is near.He has been moved into a hospice and is very afraid and wants his wife to be near him.

It is so hard for Pat, his wife, as she struggles with her disability.
Their family- two sons and a daughter, are deeply affected of course.

I have been sending them cards with a loving Christian message, and Pat tells me that this has helped her, and she describes this as support and thanks me for "supporting" her - yet I feel it is so little. I don't live near so can't be of practical help but I am praying hard and trying to show her somehow that Jesus loves them all, and longs for them to be close so He can comfort and strengthen them.

Please pray for Allan, Pat, daughter Lou, grand-daughter Hannah, and Pat's two sons. Thank you and God bless.

[MIRIAM JACOB]

I am praying for Alan, Pat and their family members.
May God give them the grace and strength to go through this. Amen.

[faith88]

Allan is gradually getting weaker and Pat says he can no longer potter around in his garden which he loves.

There doesn't seem any signs that he is getting closer to God.

Please go on praying for Allan and the whole family.

[faith88]

Pat has had a small stroke as a result of the stress looking after Allen. Please pray that she is given more help. Her family are good but the situation is more than they can cope with.

Please go on praying that Pat, Allen, and their sons and daughters, especially Lou, will turn to Jesus.

[faith88]

Prayers have been answered in small but significant ways.

There is a McMillan nurse coming in to help.

Pat is beginning to get over her mini-stroke and can now go on the computer and get in touch with friends, and their support and expressions of concern are helping.

She says that a hidden blessing has been that she and Allen has re-discovered the love they had for each other 40 years ago.

But please go on praying for all this family. Thank you for your prayers.

[MIRIAM JACOB]

We are praying for Pat, Allen & their family. May God give them the grace and peace to face this difficult time with courage and faith in God's boundless love. Amen.

[faith88]

I met upwith Pat and her family on Saturday. She does at least, look much better as she recovers from her mini-stroke.

However, Allen is still having panic attacks and it seems that New Age remedies have been recommended (Reiki? I am not sure what it is. ) It is not working.

I know even a suffering Christian must think, at times, in the midst of suffering and faced with death, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" But Jesus knew this anguish, too.

It must be terrible to face all this without God in their lives.

I thought that, if anything, daughter, Lou looked more stressed and tense than her mother, as if she has taken it all on board.

Please pray that they will become aware of their need of Jesus, especially Allen, with his panic attacks- and for more help for them. God bless you for your prayers.

[faith88]

Alan is now very ill and in the final stages of his illness. The family are taking turns to be with him. His wife had another stroke but a relation took her away for a short rest to a holideay resort by the sea.

I am still praying for a miracle - that Alan would meet with Jesus and accept Him into his life, and that his last days should be filled with the peace of God. Please pray for Alan,his wife and all the family.

[faith88]

Please continue to pray for this family. I think prayers are being answered, but in a strange way.

It seemed that his wife - and all of them, had to get to the end of their tether before anything was done to help. She sent me an e-mail to explain- she has has two little strokes with the stress- and said that she got so desperate, with sleepless nights and Allan needing constant attention- that she was seriously considering mixing a mugfull of drugs and taking it.

Her daughter and her sons sent for the doctor- and Allen's wife was taken on holiday to her sister's near Morecambe. Meanwhile her daughter and her sons took over looking after their father, and found it was an impossible task. Nobody seems able to help with the pain or the distress. In the end, he was admitted to a mental health ward, which seems strange- but it's about dealing with the anxiety attacks..etc..

They have decided, as a family, that they may have to consider residential care for him. His wife has actually looked after him for 11 years in total, and she just can't cope any more.
It is SO hard, isn't it? I think she is making the right decision, for all concerned. She would not even be any use to Allen if she risked a serious health problem herself by trying to carry on.

I don't know how she managed. I didn't stay with my mother 24/7- but I found it hard when the care was intensive, when she was really ill. Often it seems that people expect more of their "loved ones" than they would expect from a health professional.

No doubt Allen believes his wife can do without sleep and watch over him day and night, and be able to relieve his pain and distress, all in the name of love. If only it was that simple.

I think a very sick person's world just shrinks until there is only them in it! I just pray that they would all find GOD at the end of their tether.

I believe that Jesus would take away Allen's distress, as so much of it is facing the end of life without a belief in anything beyond this life. I have tried talking to this family about Jesus- but, although Allen's wife says she likes being prayed for and believes in prayer, she is not a Christian. Her daughter is actually quite hostile to the Christian message.

It is so difficult. Please pray for everyone in this situation.
Thank you so much. It means a lot to know that dear Christian friends are praying with me. God bless you all.

[faith88]

Pat, Alan and their family have been througfh a difficult time but,praise God a loving care home has finally been found for Alan and he settled almost immediately.

After a stay in a very uncaring hospital ward, Pat did take Alan home to attempt to carefor him herself- but she is not well enough.

I believe that God has blessed her with finding the right place for Alan.

Pat's daughter also had an operation about ten days ago, for a trapped nerve due to arthritis, (which she has although she's not old- not even really middle-aged as yet.)

I pray that this family may feel God's love for them, and turn nto Him.