October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and as a survivor myself, and the mother of two daughters, my prayer is that this awful disease would be eradicated in my lifetime and that my daughters would never have to experience what I went through in battling this deadly disease.  Certainly medical intervention was key to my healing process, and God led me to some of the best surgeons and oncologists in Calgary for my treatment, but it was God’s Word that brought me that “peace that surpasses understanding”.  Good friends sent me daily scripture to encourage me, and each day in the Word was a balm to my soul.  Here are some key verses that ministered to me then and continue to minister to me today!

Matthew 7:7-11  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?  If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Proverbs 4:20-22  “My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;  for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body.”

Mark 2:8-12  “Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?  But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man,  “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”  He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Psalm 103:2-4  “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,  who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.”

Mark 11:23-26  “Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them.  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Luke 17:11-19  “Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.  As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”  When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.  One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.  He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.   Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?  Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”  Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

John 9:1-7  “As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.  His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”   “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.  As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.  While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”   After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.  “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”

John 15:7  “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.”

Acts 14:8-10  “In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth and had never walked.  He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed  and called out, “Stand up on your feet!” At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.”

James 5:14-15  “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”

Exodus 15:26  “He said, “If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”

Matthew 9:20-22  “Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak.  She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.”   Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.”

Psalm 107:19-21  “Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress.   He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.   Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.”

Exodus 23:25  “Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.”

Mark 16:18  “…they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”

Psalm 30:2  “Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.”

Matthew 8:8  “The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.”

Isaiah 53:4-5  “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

Psalm 41:2-3  “The Lord protects and preserves them—they are counted among the blessed in the land—he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.  The Lord sustains them on their sickbed
and restores them from their bed of illness.”

Jeremiah 17:14  “Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.”

Matthew 9:35  “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.”

Psalm 147:3  “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

1 Peter 2:24  “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

2 Chronicles 7:14  “… if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Revelation 21:4  “‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

And lastly an extra passage that I clung to throughout my journey with cancer.  On the Sunday after my diagnosis Henry Blackaby was speaking in our church and he encouraged me to share it with my church family and then prayed for me.  My daughter printed out this passage for me and had it framed so that on some of the toughest days of my treatment I could turn to it and be encouraged. 

Isaiah 38:10-20  “I said, “In the prime of my life must I go through the gates of death and be robbed of the rest of my years?”  I said, “I will not again see the Lord himself  in the land of the living; no longer will I look on my fellow man, or be with those who now dwell in this world.   Like a shepherd’s tent my house has been pulled down and taken from me.  Like a weaver I have rolled up my life, and he has cut me off from the loom; day and night you made an end of me.   I waited patiently till dawn, but like a lion he broke all my bones; day and night you made an end of me.   I cried like a swift or thrush, I moaned like a mourning dove.  My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.   I am being threatened; Lord, come to my aid!”

But what can I say?  He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.  I will walk humbly all my years because of this anguish of my soul.   Lord, by such things people live; and my spirit finds life in them too.  You restored me to health and let me live.   Surely it was for my benefit
that I suffered such anguish.  In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.  For the grave cannot praise you, death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.  The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; parents tell their children about your faithfulness.  The Lord will save me, and we will sing with stringed instruments all the days of our lives in the temple of the Lord.”

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