Stories of God's Faithfulness

God is at work all around us. Sometimes in life, we wonder if that is really true. But when we stop and hear the stories of how God has answered prayer, and remember how He has shown His faithfulness, we find the courage and strength to persevere in the faith. May these stories of how God answered prayer in 2017 encourage and inspire in the year to come. Do you have a story of answered prayer? Share your story here to encourage and inspire others.

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Carl

Until the beginning of this year I was a very proud person and didn't even realize it. I was proud that I was healthy and in need of nothing. Then my annual check up revealed that I had stage four cancer. My liver enzymes revealed I had cancer in my body somewhere. Several tests later revealed it was in my colon. The oncologist said I needed chemo soon. However, I first needed to have a blockage from my bowel removed. After the operation, I was hospitalized for many days, and this was a very dark time for me because I was under the control of some powerful drugs. The only thing I remember about this time is the stupid dreams. At the follow-up session with the surgeon, he was surprised at the high dose of drugs so he prescribed something different and, praise God, I ended up not needing any drugs at all.

As I came out of the darkness, God was showing me the great darkness people are in when addicted to drugs. They are overpowered and need help. Praise God, He helped without further medications.

Chemo finally came, and it was just before the fourth session I received very good news. Of the markers they use to determine the severity of cancer, mine had gone down from nearly 400 to less than 50 -- PRAISE GOD.

Now let me preach a little. Before all this happened God gave me several passages of scripture to memorize. I thought they for me to use in my jail ministry, however, they have been a great blessing to me now as I recover. Let me share them with you.

Psalm 25: 1-7 -- ''. . . let me not be ashamed . . ."
Psalm 34: 1-7 -- " I will bless the LORD at all times . . ."
1 John 1:5-10 -- "If we confess . . . he will forgive . . ."
1 John 1: 15-17 --"Love not the world . . ."
2 Peter 1:4 -- ". . . partaker of the divine nature . . ."
Galatians 5:16-17 ". . . walk in the spirit . . ."
Psalm 103 this psalm gives the benefits of a relation with God.

If these scripture portions are helpful to you let me know by return email, and if there is a request I can pray for you, I will. May the Lord bless you and sustain you all your remaining days.


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Marcia

in 2015 I was diagnosed with breast cancer that had metastasized to the liver, lungs, and several bones. I began chemo treatment after a mastectomy and continued treatment until the fall of 2017. Treatments were often changed because of no improvement. 2017 was a difficult year in that I had a bad reaction in the summer to one of the chemo drugs. After having only one treatment of a new drug I had a painful and debilitating reaction. During all of this time people were praying and I truly felt God walking alongside of me. At the end of October my scans showed significant decrease in the size of the tumors in my liver and lungs. Regaining strength has been slow, but I praise the Lord for His healing power and for the body of Christ. I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I thank the Lord that today holds healing for me. The Lord's presence and comfort are always there for us throughout the bad and good times.

Celebrating New Life: Lawrence Booker

On December 24, 2017, in the 9am service at First Alliance Church, Lawrence Booker was baptized, publicly signifying his identity in Christ and commitment to follow Jesus as a disciple. His story follows.

I came to Christ in an extraordinary way. 

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I attended a Christian summer camp when I was younger. It was there that I was exposed to Christ and met the camp nurse who would later become my mother and one of my biggest supporters along my walk with Christ. 

However, it wasn't until the Christmas season of 2015 that I had truly surrendered to Christ's calling on me. I attended Walnut Hill Community Church in Bethel, Connecticut. I fell deeper and deeper into the message each week, becoming entranced by the sound and feeling of the spirit during worship, and with new eyes saw how broken I was. The only remedy for that brokenness that had lasting effect came from Jesus and His Gospel. 

As I matured spiritually, I reflected on how an all powerful God took me from the hardships of abuse and neglect that had shaped my understanding of childhood, and how He stayed faithful in listening to my pain. He provided me with a family that would love, encourage, and support a relationship with Him, independent from most everything else.

I am being baptized (12/24/17) as a way to definitely state beyond just words alone, but through my action, that I am in love with the Creator of the universe. I want to demonstrate the love , commitment, and faithfulness of my Abba. I want to be seen as a person that does not pretend to be perfect or better than anyone else because of a label, instead being seen as a person who shares an undeniable and unbreakable relationship with the most powerful King Jesus. 

And from it all, I would like for others to see how He worked in my life, in hope that it would show them how He may work in theirs, despite however far away they believe themselves to be.


*To learn more about baptism, its meaning, and its symbolism, click here.