The Journal: News of the Churches of God

You've got a problem? Drop this lady a prayer line

By Dixon Cartwright

CHANDLER, Texas - Rosy Halley, a member and secretary-treasurer of the East Texas Church of God, Hawkins, Texas, is running a new E-mail prayer-request line out of her East Texas home.

Prayer Lines, as she calls it, "is open to all of God's people who are in need of prayer," she says. "It consists of four sections: New Prayers, Updates, Continuing Prayers and Remember Constantly."

The Remember Constantly section is for people who suffer with cancer and other incurable diseases or those with critical problems that may last longer than three or four weeks.

"I also include births, deaths and even marriages. I send it out weekly, on a Friday morning, so it can be used in the churches on the Sabbath."

Prayer Lines started as part of an E-mail news service (called Churches of God Review) provided during the formative stages of the Churches of God Outreach Ministries.

"When the Review was discontinued, I asked if there were any reason why I could not continue with a prayer-request list that would be my contribution to the work."

Prayer Lines was going to 30 to 40 E-mail addresses in June of last year. But it has grown rapidly and now goes to 150 people and to two additional Internet addresses that resend the information over E-mail networks. Prayer Lines is also published on two other sites on the World Wide Web of the Internet.

"If the Prayer Lines does not arrive at the expected time, I receive messages asking me to resend it," Mrs. Halley says. "They [the recipients] are also very good to let me know when a prayer recipient's situation changes, and I in turn let the others know about it, especially when they feel the prayers were answered with modern-day miracles."

Mrs. Halley says she was in the right place at the right time to start the request line, but it wouldn't exist without the subscribers who send in prayer requests and provide information and updates.

"These generous, loving, caring people really are the Prayer Lines," she says.

Mrs. Halley and her husband, Gene, who died in 1994, became members of the Church of God International in 1987.

"I volunteered to work in the mail room there and about a year later became the supervisor, with Ian Hufton as the manager of the department.

"I left the CGI in January 1996 and volunteered to help Mr. Hufton in the information office of the newly formed Churches of God," which later changed its name to Churches of God Outreach Ministries (see The Journal, June 27).

Mrs. Halley no longer works with the information office, although she is active in the COGOM-associated East Texas Church of God.

"I live on the west side of Lake Palestine with my springer spaniel Flirt. I have two grown children and four granddaughters, with my son and family living in Sand Springs, Okla., and my daughter's family living in Decatur, Ill."

Anyone may join the E-mail-only group and subscribe to Prayer Lines by writing Mrs. Halley at rosyh@gower.net. Phone her at (903) 849-2271, or write her at 4502 Skyline Dr., Chandler, Texas 75758.

Sample prayer s

Following are some recent examples of postings on Prayer Lines.

Evans, Israel , Marysville, Ohio, son of Bill Evans of Palm Harbor, Fla., sent this message to his father: "I can't believe that my gout is finally breaking up! I have already had two days of work where it was tolerable. There would have been more, but I came to work the other day and was jumping around out of joy because my foot wasn't giving much trouble, and I wasn't watching what I was doing while I pulled a 300-pound steel basket over the top of my gout-ridden toe. Ouch! But I wanted to thank you for your prayers. They seem to have helped me tremendously!"

Guschel, Lee , 1015 Belaire Dr., Daytona Beach, Fla. 32118, was admitted to ICU Monday with Guillian-Barre syndrome, which causes paralysis. The doctors felt his body was just shutting down! He could barely speak or move. Yesterday word was received that he came home looking better than he has looked in a long time. He has been healed! The doctors were baffled, but Lee suggested they go home and read Isaiah 53:5 over and over and maybe they would be able to understand the outcome! They want to thank everyone for the prayers.

Lewis, Alma , 200 Brentwood, Athens, Texas 75751, went for her one-month checkup after finding her cancer had returned. At last meeting with doctor, he was recommending chemotherapy again, but Alma requested that they wait for just a while. When she met with him Tuesday, he reported that he is just amazed! Her tests were so much better he is no longer advising the chemo. Will see her again in two months now.

He asked what she was doing for such a remarkable improvement. She replied that she and hundreds of others were praying for her!

Needless to say, she was elated! So was I. Please continue your prayers for her.

Spencer, James , P.O. Box 10463, Bradenton, Fla. 34282, was in the hospital with congestive heart failure. The doctors felt he would need a transplant. After your prayers, he is doing wonderfully! They wanted to thank everyone for remembering him in prayer.

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