“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NIV

The verse above tells us that we can go to God with confidence, that He will hear our prayers and give us mercy and grace when we need it. In all the sickness that is covering our country, worrying our minds and causing us trouble, I want to share some good news with you. Our God hears our prayers!

In the past, I have posted pictures of our two doggies, RE and Traveler. RE is our yellow lab and he is five years old. Traveler is our black lab and she is 4 years old. They love to play together. My husband gave her a nickname when she was little. He calls her Sugar Bear, because she loves to cuddle up with you and she wags her tail almost all the time (even in her sleep).

Well, when all this sickness seemed to be starting back in February, Traveler, our black lab, was diagnosed with cancer. She had these small lumps just under the skin that were red and itchy. The vet removed one and had it tested. He told us that it was stage three cancer. That was bad. We were told she probably had only 6-12 months left to live. My husband and I were so sad and upset.

She had some other tests to see if the cancer had spread, it hadn’t. Then she had the other three tumors removed. But we were determined that she would have none of the other more painful treatments. We just wanted her to be as happy as she could be for the time she had left. We cried and we prayed, and we spoiled her even more (if that was possible??).

A friend of ours asked to offer a special prayer over Traveler, so my husband took her over and Bob said a prayer over her for healing. Needless to say, all of us, my husband and I and our children, added to the prayers for Traveler. And God heard our prayers!

After the last surgery to remove the tumors, our vet sent in for another test to confirm the cancer. And guess what? No cancer, the remaining tumors were not cancer! It was God truly answering our prayers. I don’t know how much longer we will have our little “Sugar Bear”, but God has given her to us for just a bit longer and we thank Him for it.

I want you to know that God always hears our prayers and always loves us. But sometimes His answer isn’t always what we want. Both of my parents died of cancer way too young. I prayed for them, too. But God took them on to heaven with Him. When I get there, to heaven, God will explain it all to me. But for now, I accept that God did the best thing for them, even if I miss them very much.

This week say a prayer for someone you love and want to help. You could pray for the nurses and doctors taking care of sick people, or for someone in your family, or even for yourself. God is always with you. God hears you when you pray. And God answers prayers. (Even if it isn’t always the way we think it should be.)

And this week I will say a prayer for each of you and your families to stay healthy and happy together!

Blessings as you pray for those that need God’s love and help!