The Purcells are in great need of their prayer warriors again! Megan was finally able to go home for a little while on Sunday, but it was short lived and had to quickly return to the hospital where she was diagnosed with pneumonia. Pray that the cause of the pneumonia is treatable and that the graft vs. host disease has not moved into her lungs. There are so many things that come to mind when I think about their needs, but I really feel that the Lord put a song on my heart as a prayer for this family:
This is the air I breathe, this is the air I breathe
Your Holy Presence living in me
This is my Daily Bread, this is my Daily Bread
Your very Word spoken to me
And I am desparate for You
And I am lost without You
Lord, give Megan the air to breathe and relieve the pain from the pneumonia. Let your presence fill her room, her mind, her body and let her feel that it is You so that she is comforted. Give this family the daily bread of strength, peace and sanity to make it through just one day at a time. Give Megan the renewal of spirit to continue fighting with all of her might, knowing that God has created her for a purpose and wants to accomplish great things in her life! Speak Words of peace quietly to their hearts and use others to speak words of hope into their lives. In their desparation for something solid to grab onto, let them reach out and find you. Lord, be the hope that this family is so desparate for...they need the comfort of you near to them!
Remember that although Megan is fighting the hardest, Dave, Margaret, Lauren and Courtney are daily battling too! Bring peace to Margaret, especially, her mother's heart is breaking...she needs to be reminded that God the Father is so well acquainted with watching His child suffer and wants to offer her the comfort of knowing what she is going through.
Numbers 6:24-26
"The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Healing
As many of you may have read on Caring Bridge, Megan's transplant was postponed to today, Wednesday Feb. 11. So we have had an opportunity to pray that much harder for "the big day"! As the hours tick down before the procedure begins, help pave the way for this day and the coming months of recovery with prayer!
Looking back to the gospels and the book of Acts...amazement is the only word that comes to mind. Seeing how Jesus, and later, his disciples, took the time to see an individual: to see their hurt, to see their disease, to see the emotional pain, to see the spiritual void - and then he healed them of all of these things! We see that this has been His character since before the beginning of time, and He will not fail this family now, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3
Pray that above all else this family will feel healing begin today, and that they will sense that it is coming from so much more than a bone marrow transplant. Pray that they will literally feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in their room, pray that an emotional healing will begin to mend whatever hurt may be in the hearts of Dave, Margaret, Megan, Lauren, Courtney and their extended family as well, pray that spiritual healing may begin - that they would come to realize that Christ crucified is their only hope!
Lord, let it be in the little things: an extra kind nurse, their favorite doctor, a visit from a friend right in the moment that they think they cannot stand it another second, sunshine through the window and warm weather when they go out to catch a breath of fresh air. And even break into the huge things...I pray that you would take her beyond her pain and that she would be aware that what she is experiencing MUST be you!
I urge you to look towards the cross in your prayer time and be encouraged, remembering what Isaiah the prophet spoke of Jesus in chapter 53:3-5, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hid their faces he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."
The lyrics of a song that I heard a few years ago keep coming to mind and I ask all of you to pray this over the Purcells' lives and Megan's hospital room!
Holy Spirit come, Holy Spirit dwell here. Fill this place with love overflowing, and joy
overflowing, and peace overflowing. In all of your glory, come.
Be vigilant and continually pray...the Purcells are counting on you!
Looking back to the gospels and the book of Acts...amazement is the only word that comes to mind. Seeing how Jesus, and later, his disciples, took the time to see an individual: to see their hurt, to see their disease, to see the emotional pain, to see the spiritual void - and then he healed them of all of these things! We see that this has been His character since before the beginning of time, and He will not fail this family now, "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:3
Pray that above all else this family will feel healing begin today, and that they will sense that it is coming from so much more than a bone marrow transplant. Pray that they will literally feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in their room, pray that an emotional healing will begin to mend whatever hurt may be in the hearts of Dave, Margaret, Megan, Lauren, Courtney and their extended family as well, pray that spiritual healing may begin - that they would come to realize that Christ crucified is their only hope!
Lord, let it be in the little things: an extra kind nurse, their favorite doctor, a visit from a friend right in the moment that they think they cannot stand it another second, sunshine through the window and warm weather when they go out to catch a breath of fresh air. And even break into the huge things...I pray that you would take her beyond her pain and that she would be aware that what she is experiencing MUST be you!
I urge you to look towards the cross in your prayer time and be encouraged, remembering what Isaiah the prophet spoke of Jesus in chapter 53:3-5, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hid their faces he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely he took our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."
The lyrics of a song that I heard a few years ago keep coming to mind and I ask all of you to pray this over the Purcells' lives and Megan's hospital room!
Holy Spirit come, Holy Spirit dwell here. Fill this place with love overflowing, and joy
overflowing, and peace overflowing. In all of your glory, come.
Be vigilant and continually pray...the Purcells are counting on you!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Peace
Today is going to be a long day for the Purcells... All the preparations are being made for the transplant tomorrow and I know there must a bittersweet feeling looming in that room. Pray so urgently that a spirit of peace would inhabit Megan's hospital room rather than a spirit of fear and anxiety. Throughout today, let's battle for this family! - they are overcome with so much right now, I know that the thought of giving up strength must have crossed their minds. Let us all hang on to 2 Timothy 1:7 "For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind."
Pray that all of Megan's treatments and labs go smoothly today, that she would rest well for a little while, pray that food will taste a little better, that she will be renewed with strength of spirit and be comforted knowing that the Holy Spirit is inviting her to rest in Him.
I have absolutely no idea what Margaret and Dave's hearts, as parents, are going through! Pray that their minds would be cleared of anxiety and worry, that they may feel an indescribable peace wash over them...remind them that they are not alone in their suffering: God the Father can most certainly identify with the pain of standing by and watching His child suffer! Be with Lauren and Courtney as they try to get on with school. Pray fervently that God would send someone to come alongside each of them and literally hold them up during this trial.
Be encoura ged to battle on and remember these words of Jesus in John 20:21, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you!"
Hebrews 13:20-21 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Pray that all of Megan's treatments and labs go smoothly today, that she would rest well for a little while, pray that food will taste a little better, that she will be renewed with strength of spirit and be comforted knowing that the Holy Spirit is inviting her to rest in Him.
I have absolutely no idea what Margaret and Dave's hearts, as parents, are going through! Pray that their minds would be cleared of anxiety and worry, that they may feel an indescribable peace wash over them...remind them that they are not alone in their suffering: God the Father can most certainly identify with the pain of standing by and watching His child suffer! Be with Lauren and Courtney as they try to get on with school. Pray fervently that God would send someone to come alongside each of them and literally hold them up during this trial.
Be encoura ged to battle on and remember these words of Jesus in John 20:21, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you!"
Hebrews 13:20-21 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Help us cover the Purcells in prayer!
I hope this is going out to a bunch of people who feel just as helpless as I have in trying to do or even think of something meaningful for the Purcell family as they prepare for another battle with Megan's cancer. The good news is...we are not helpless! When I asked Margaret what she needed, her answer was short and simple: PRAYER! This is something that we can all make the sacrifice of time and effort and bring this family before the Lord and intercede on their behalf.
So this is my idea:
Megan is preparing for her second bone marrow transplant on February 10 at Emory Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. My hope is that we have enough volunteers who would be willing to pray for Megan, Margaret, Dave, Lauren and Courtney - without stopping- for the entire day before, during and after the transplant. This may mean setting your alarm clock for 3 am, for all you night shifters it may mean taking your "lunch break" without actually eating lunch! but using that time for prayer instead, it may even be as simple as taking the time to truly stop what you are doing and set aside a specific time to pray this family through! Each day we will have a certain focus on prayer...what we feel like will best help Megan and the family. PLEASE LEAVE A POST SO THAT THE FAMILY MAY BE ENCOURAGED BY YOUR PRAYERS!
February 9th: Peace
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Today beginning at 7:00 am through 7:00 am on the 10th, pray and ask that the peace of Christ would rule supreme in the hearts of each member of this family. That it would overcome fear, anxiety, sleeplessness, doubt, anger, sadness...and I million other emotions that I would never be able to express. Pray that the Holy Spirit would go ahead of them and prepare the way for the transplant and continually give them the comfort of perfect peace.
February 10th: Healing
Psalm 30:2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
Today beginning at 7:00 am through 7:00 am the 11th, pray healing over this family. This family has been through so much...there is much more than physical healing that needs to occur! Pray for physical healing: that her body would accept the transplant, that her pain may be limited, that she would have just the right amount of graft vs. host disease, that she may be physically healthy and whole again! Pray for emotional healing: lift up Margaret and Dave's relationship - they have carried such a heavy burden together for so long...renew their strength! Pray that the girls would be healed of feelings of helplessness, sadness, failure and anger. Pray for spiritual healing: pray that this would be a time where God's glory would be displayed and that many may come to know Him personally!
This is the big day...when you do not know what to pray, look to the Scriptures as they tell us:
Romans 8:26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
February 11th: Hope
Romans 15:13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
From 7:00 am through 7:00 am on the 12th pray that God would fill this family's hearts with the Hope that can only be found in Jesus! That they would look to the future months of recovery with hearts full...to the point of overflowing with hope, knowing their source of strength and power is God, Himself.
The (rest of the) Purcell Family:
Dave (Dad): Contining to work through this whole process.
Margaret (Mom): Taking off work to be with Megan pretty much 24/7 in the hospital!
Lauren (middle sister): College freshman at UGA.
Courtney (youngest sister): Sophomore at Providence Chirstian Academy.
So this is my idea:
Megan is preparing for her second bone marrow transplant on February 10 at Emory Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. My hope is that we have enough volunteers who would be willing to pray for Megan, Margaret, Dave, Lauren and Courtney - without stopping- for the entire day before, during and after the transplant. This may mean setting your alarm clock for 3 am, for all you night shifters it may mean taking your "lunch break" without actually eating lunch! but using that time for prayer instead, it may even be as simple as taking the time to truly stop what you are doing and set aside a specific time to pray this family through! Each day we will have a certain focus on prayer...what we feel like will best help Megan and the family. PLEASE LEAVE A POST SO THAT THE FAMILY MAY BE ENCOURAGED BY YOUR PRAYERS!
February 9th: Peace
Colossians 3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Today beginning at 7:00 am through 7:00 am on the 10th, pray and ask that the peace of Christ would rule supreme in the hearts of each member of this family. That it would overcome fear, anxiety, sleeplessness, doubt, anger, sadness...and I million other emotions that I would never be able to express. Pray that the Holy Spirit would go ahead of them and prepare the way for the transplant and continually give them the comfort of perfect peace.
February 10th: Healing
Psalm 30:2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me.
Today beginning at 7:00 am through 7:00 am the 11th, pray healing over this family. This family has been through so much...there is much more than physical healing that needs to occur! Pray for physical healing: that her body would accept the transplant, that her pain may be limited, that she would have just the right amount of graft vs. host disease, that she may be physically healthy and whole again! Pray for emotional healing: lift up Margaret and Dave's relationship - they have carried such a heavy burden together for so long...renew their strength! Pray that the girls would be healed of feelings of helplessness, sadness, failure and anger. Pray for spiritual healing: pray that this would be a time where God's glory would be displayed and that many may come to know Him personally!
This is the big day...when you do not know what to pray, look to the Scriptures as they tell us:
Romans 8:26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
February 11th: Hope
Romans 15:13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
From 7:00 am through 7:00 am on the 12th pray that God would fill this family's hearts with the Hope that can only be found in Jesus! That they would look to the future months of recovery with hearts full...to the point of overflowing with hope, knowing their source of strength and power is God, Himself.
The (rest of the) Purcell Family:
Dave (Dad): Contining to work through this whole process.
Margaret (Mom): Taking off work to be with Megan pretty much 24/7 in the hospital!
Lauren (middle sister): College freshman at UGA.
Courtney (youngest sister): Sophomore at Providence Chirstian Academy.
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