Sunday, November 30, 2008

Fasting and Prayer

Sometimes God calls us to fast and pray for a purpose. My heart has been so broken for my brother, Brian. He is sick with ulcerative colitis. It is a disease that causes inflammation and sores, called ulcers, in the lining of the rectum and colon. Ulcers form where inflammation has killed the cells that usually line the colon, then bleed and produce pus. Inflammation in the colon also causes the colon to empty frequently, causing diarrhea. He was diagnosed last February. He has taken many different medications and has seen several doctors. He has found little to no relief and suffers daily. It has been a very hard journey. He met with his doctor on Oct. 30 and he wanted him to make a decision between two options (surgery vs. biological drug called remicade) by the end of year. He also went to Cedars Sinai last week to consult with another doctor. He took more blood tests and they are scheduling another colonoscopy. They are checking to see if he really has colitis or if he has Crohn's disease.

The situation seems hopeless at times. God called me to fast and pray for Brian for the month of November. I am still breastfeeding so a full fast was not a possibility. I fasted desserts/sweets because I have such a sweet tooth. Today my fast is coming to a close. I'm going to continue praying. When we feel hopeless and broken, God wants us to cry out to Him and pray. Not much has changed with Brian's health in the last month, but I know God is faithful and is in control. I feel like I have given my brother fully over to the Lord. I trust His hand is on his life and will heal him in His timing.

2 comments:

Danice said...

I will be praying with you. It is so difficult to see someone you love suffer through the pain of illness. The only comfort that is long lasting is what we recieve from the Lord through drawing near to Him through these times. Thank you for sharing Kim.

Traci said...

Please keep us posted on how he's doing. Love you!