Prayer for a friend...

I had a birthday yesterday. Let's just say I'm on the "downside" of my 30's. I'm okay with it - it doesn't seem possible to me that I'm getting old, though there are reminders around me almost every day.

In a semi-related story - I got an e-mail from an old friend this morning. She's a few years younger than me and has just found a tumor of some sort the size of an apple on her thigh. It's pretty scary for her & her husband, and many of her friends & family have begun praying for them. It's strange to think someone so young (younger than me) and healthy (probably healthier than me) can be faced with such a health crisis. I pray God's blessing on her.

How do you pray in such a situation? I went through a crisis a few years ago and we prayed for healing. When my healing wasn't quick & "miraculous" there were a few who suggested I had some "hidden sin" that I needed to fess up to before God was going to work in my body.

I think it's right to pray a few ways. I ask God to heal my friend now. I pray that if that doesn't happen, God will be with her doctors and guide them in bringing her back to full help. I think the most important prayer I can pray is for her, not her body - "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7.