Intercessory Prayer Preying on Cancer
Cancer and calm – two words that aren’t seen together often. It’s so abnormal, in fact, for a cancer patient to be calm, that Lauren’s doctors didn’t think she or her family understood the seriousness of her situation in March 2010.
What Lauren, her husband, Luther, and her daughter Allison, have continued to show the doctors is, their peace doesn’t come from a lack of understanding, but from someone who has an even greater understanding – God.
Toward the end of 2010, Lauren and Luther, looking toward an uncertain future with several months of Lauren’s chemotherapy, sickness and weakness already behind them, came to First Baptist Dallas for the first time to support their daughter Allison, who was joining. Looking for a new church themselves, they began attending, and soon, God stirred Lauren to fill out a prayer request form.
“I was surprised when Walter [Guillaume] contacted me via email. I felt that here was this big church and someone as ‘high up in the church’ as Walter was contacting me. We hadn't experienced this before,” Lauren said. “Walter was so kind and would sometimes just call after he had gotten an email update on my condition, even if it were after normal working hours of the church. We developed an email/phone call relationship with Walter and we had never met him!”
“Over the next few weeks and months we had several others from the church call and say that they were praying for me, and some actually prayed for me/us while we are on the phone with them,” Lauren added. “People we had never even met!”
When Lauren and Luther saw how the people of First Dallas cared for others – even them, as non-members – God put it on their hearts to join, and they did so this past March.
“We attend church when I am able, and when I’m not, we watch it on our computer – whether at home or at the hospital,” Lauren said. “Watching the church service online isn't the same as being there, but it is wonderful just the same. We look forward to the day I am strong enough for us to attend a Sunday school class.”
After six rounds of chemo, the fight continues today, and Lauren and Luther covet your sincere prayers above all else.
“Too often people say ‘you are in my thoughts and prayers’ like they are saying hello or goodbye,” Lauren said. “To actually know someone is praying for you is so moving, so breathtaking … you can feel it.”