Prayer and Fasting for Melinda Malloy

On May 10^th, Melinda Malloy was diagnosed with breast cancer. She will have surgery at MD Anderson Friday morning, September 7.  That day  we here at Shades of Grace, along with many of Melinda’s church family and friends, will join together in prayer and fasting on her behalf.

Melinda: A Snapshot

Melinda is an extraordinary, amazing, godly woman and a precious friend. When I say amazing, I mean amazing. An enigma.  In all the years that I have known Melinda, I’ve never once seen her angry, irritable, stressed or even short with anyone. Not once! She is the most even keeled, gentle, pleasant person I know.

Extremely intelligent, her GPA in college was a 4.0. Although Melinda was a biology major, she’s also extremely talented and artistic. And witty too! She values relationships and loves people, treasuring time with family and friends.

Melinda is also a selfless servant. She’s always finding ways to bless and give to others. From young girls she mentors, to her friends and family, to her home church and us here at Shades of Grace, countless people have been deeply touched by Melinda’s presence in their life.

I’ve never known Melinda to put her own needs above another’s.  When she’s with you, she’s totally in the moment. You would never know that she had plans that she’s missing by engaging in conversation with you or helping you finish a task.  When she’s with you, you and your needs are her priority.

With that same spirit Melinda has tirelessly served behind the scenes at Shades of Grace for over six years. If you’ve been blessed by a recording, a blog post, a mailing, an event, a publication or an outreach, Melinda was instrumental behind the scenes in making that avenue of ministry possible.

The Fast

Melinda has served many of us and now we have an opportunity to serve her by setting aside one day to fast and pray for her. If you feel led to join us, we’ll be fasting for 24 hours beginning Friday a.m. through Saturday a.m. — praying for her surgery, recovery and healing.

I will be at MD Anderson with her Friday and will be posting updates to Facebook. Please see my Facebook page for updates throughout the day and in the days and weeks to come.

God’s Promises

 Is this not the fast that I have chosen…
[that] your healing shall spring forth speedily”
Isaiah 58:6,8

An example of Melinda’s photography. This is her own beautiful ballet leg…and SHE took the photograph!

Melinda wrote a guest post in January for Pursuit 21. Her post was titled Fasting for Healing. So it’s not surprising that when faced with difficult treatment decisions, Melinda set aside at least a week to fast and pray and seek God’s direction. As has been stated here in Pursuit 21 posts, when we fast, it gets God’s attention quickly. He responds! God heard Melinda’s plea and spoke to her through three beautiful promises.

Doctors warned Melinda that the surgery could dramatically affect her right arm…which, as an excellent professional photographer, wasn’t a likelihood easy for Melinda to accept. So it’s incredible what God spoke to her regarding her arm. These promises not only speak to his protection over her arm, but to his protection over her life! I don’t know about you, but I will be pleading these promises in prayer as we fast.

Isaiah 41:13  

For I am the Lord, your God,
who takes hold of your right hand
and says to you, Do not fear;
I will help you.

Psalm 121:1-8

I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life;
⁸ the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.

Psalm 91

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you make the Most High your dwelling—
even the Lord, who is my refuge—
¹⁰ then no harm will befall you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread upon the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life will I satisfy him
and show him my salvation.”

Melinda has had significant health problems in the past. Though she has improved dramatically, remnants of her illness remain.  Please pray also that these symptoms would not be exacerbated by the surgery and upcoming treatments.

Vernon Brewer: An Encouraging Story

In Fasting For a Spiritual Breakthrough, Elmer Towns tells the story of a corporate fast for Vernon Brewer. It’s one of my favorite stories of the impact fasting and prayer had upon someone’s healing:

In April, 1985, Dean of students Vernon Brewer of Liberty University was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors gave him a short time to live. Vernon Brewer was a well-liked dean because he was fair in handling discipline problems. His life magnified the Lord Jesus Christ. Word about his cancer grieved the entire student body.

All 5,000 students were asked to join us in prayer and fasting for Dean Brewer’s healing. The students were given several days to prepare themselves for the fast and to learn what fasting would do. Then the students began a 24-hour prayer vigil in the school chapel. The chapel only seated 200 people, so the students were asked to alternate 1-hour segments throughout the night and day. The chapel was always overflowing; therefore, the chapel windows were opened, allowing students sitting on the grass outside to join in the time of prayer with those inside.

The number of those praying during the darkest hours of the night was greater than during the day when classes were in session. The food services of the university shut down, except for a small serving line for about 50 diabetic students who had to eat and could not physically join in the fast. Even then, those whose conditions required them to eat prayed just as intently as those who were fasting.

After fasting and praying, three medical procedures were performed to save Dean Brewer’s life. First, a five-pound cancerous mass was surgically removed from his chest. Next, he received both radiation and chemotherapy. As I write this story 10 years later, Vernon Brewer is alive, and as healthy as he was before we fasted and prayed. He directs World Help, a missionary and humanitarian organization. Every time I see Vernon Brewer, I know God heals in answer to prayer and fasting[i]