GOD'S DELAYS ARE NOT DENIALS!
--By Maria       Maria #179 DO 2831 1/93

       1. As you have read in "Get Desperate for Mama's Eyes," Dad really got furious with the Enemy & with me for accepting my eye affliction. I had been rolling along, thinking that many of the prophecies received for me on my birthday (see pg.8-16) seemed to me to point to a healing more in the future, & I was somewhat resigned to that.
       2. But at the same time I was thinking, "I don't know if I can take this." My eyes have now gotten so bad that it's very hard to get through the day without feeling headachy, & it's hard to open my eyes to look at Dad to help him with anything in the night, much less in the daytime.--Not that I mind my eyes hurting, but the more that I open them, the more strain there is on them & the more quickly I get headaches, which in turn keeps me from doing my work. This then makes me very, very tired & very weak, & therefore unable not only to do my work, but to exercise. And when I can't exercise, that in turns makes me weaker, so it's a vicious cycle.
       3. My eyes have continued to get much worse, & I'd been wondering how much more I would be able to take before it would really affect my work. Dad's answer in "Get Desperate for Mama's Eyes" was, "You shouldn't take any more! You should get healed now!" But I think I'm really going to need the Family's prayers for that. It is possible that the Lord is not planning to totally heal me until later, which is one conclusion we might draw from the prophecies given for me on my birthday.
       4. But as Dad pointed out, I need healing right now!--And he's right! I need to have some improvement, whether it be total healing or only partial healing. Any improvement would be a great help, & certainly just as miraculous as a complete & total recovery. Any reversal of the deteriorating process is supernatural & shows God's power to do miracles, & when you even see a little bit of healing, you know that He can just as easily give you a great big healing in His time. You know He has everything under control & He's working according to His perfect plan.
       5. It seems we need to pray during the Fast that the Lord will reverse this affliction at least partially & help me to fulfil my ministry, even though I may not get totally healed at this time. But a partial healing would be just as much of a miracle.
       6. I know that the Lord is going to completely heal me as He has promised, though it may not be right now. He says, "Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the Will of God, ye might receive the promise [EDITED: "manifestation"]."--Heb.10:35,36. I know by faith that once God's purpose has been accomplished through my affliction, & I, & all of us, have learned from it all that He wants us to learn, & I become the vessel that He's molding me into, I will receive the complete healing that He's promised me. Just when this will be, we don't know. So I ask that you continue to pray for my healing, that the Lord will have His way.
       7. As was passed on to you in previous Prayer Lists, & as we recently told the children about Dad's & my healing (see FSM 233), "We know that the Lord promised to do it. Apparently all the circumstances are not quite in place for us to `receive the promise' (the healing).--The healing hasn't quite gotten to us yet, but we're expecting it any time. `God's delays are not denials,' & the Lord frequently tries our faith by having us continue to wait patiently for Him.--Look how Daniel's prayers were answered from the first day that he prayed, but it took three weeks before he actually received that answer! (See Dan.10:12-14.)
       8. "`God's on the Throne & prayer changes things,' so we're expecting to fully receive our healing at any time. Like that little poem that Grandmother used to quote,

       `The answer's coming, never fear.
The answer's coming, it's almost here!
Just keep on believing, trust & obey,
The answer's coming, it's on its way!'

       9. "So we want to sincerely thank each of you for fighting this battle for our healing & pouring out your hearts to the Lord in fervent prayer for us! I believe the Lord has definitely heard & answered your prayers & has healed us, & we're just waiting now to receive that healing of my eyes & Dad's throat, esophagus & stomach. We're holding on to His promises because we're certain that what He has promised, He will, in His perfect time, also perform. We know that many of you also have to `keep on believing.' It's a test of your faith, but through it you are learning many precious lessons of patience, & also compassion for others.
       10. "Thank You, Jesus, for giving us Thy healing by faith. Even if we haven't received it yet, we know that we're going to in Thy perfect time, PTL! God bless you all, we love you & appreciate each one of you!"

       Love, Maria

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