The Power of Prayer

The Power of Prayer

Are any of you sick?
You should call for the elders of the church to come
and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord.
Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven.ā€
I James 5:14-15 (NLT)

            In the summer of 2008, I was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. 

            I had been helping to take care of my dying father, and all the stress of driving back and forth to Sun City Center each week wore on me. When some of my symptoms did not go away after my father passed on May 5th, I returned to Wisconsin, and after the usual tests, I was diagnosed.

            Ten days later, I was on an operating table having sixteen inches of my colon removed. I was then shocked to find out that I had stage 4 colon cancer, which means it’s in the lymph nodes. 

            These findings resulted in twelve rounds of chemotherapy in a matter of ten months.  Plus, I had to wear a chemo “pack” for an extra 48 hours of slow infusion.  Iā€™d have to undergo both arduous treatments every two weeks.

            As soon as I started treatment, I began to go to Wednesday healing prayer. I started my treatment in Wisconsin and finished in Naples.  I was very lucky in that “new” Fr. Joe had a Wednesday healing prayer meeting, which I attended every week.  This type of prayer opened a whole new door for me in my journey with the Lord. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I know that the Lord healed me. As the old saying goes “He’s not finished with you yet.ā€

            I am now a member of the Order of St. Luke, and I am praying for others to be healed by our Lord, Jesus Christ.  It has become a natural part of my life, and I am truly grateful for what I had to go through to reach this point.

            God’s peace and blessings to all.  Vickie Bauch