Some helpful tools, scriptures and encouragement for Christian sisters!

Steff777 · August 2023

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it was a big surprise, but God showed me right from diagnosis that He’s Got it! Also that He is there with me at every step of what has been a very challenging journey to date.

I wanted to share a couple of things that I have found helpful spiritually on my walk. I prayed and received a lot of prayer.

In addition, I found God’s Medicine Bottle by Derek Prince an interesting and helpful resource: there are five 10minute recordings. The whole set can be found here on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9ib8-EvOq4&list=PL_L1za0tEXFWKBkDUfOo0iiXuyqwbyvos . He also has a book/ebook of the same name: available through Derek Prince Ministries Australia: https://www.derekprince.com/en-au or from Koorong or in ebook form on Amazon and from other book sellers.

I’ve also shared below some verses that I have found really helpful for each step of the cancer journey and to use as ‘God’s medicine’😊.

Although it was horrible to go through, God really blessed me on my journey and recovery. Initially, it looked likely I would need a mastectomy. Miraculously, my tumour shrunk significantly during chemo so I only needed a small lumpectomy…the specialists were very surprised and one told me a couple of separate times that they did not expect my tumour would shrink as the type I had does not normally shrink (even though other types of tumour respond well to chemo)! I also did radiation and am now on hormone therapy.

Also, although there is a lot you can’t control when you are on a cancer journey, one thing you can control is your attitude, even though it is hard when you are nauseous and in pain!

God can also really use you to bless and encourage others, and to pray with them and for them. Because of what you are going through, some others may open up and share with you that they are going through challenging journeys that they may not have told anyone else.

With breast cancer everyone’s journey is different. I pray God will heal, comfort and encourage you as you walk through your journey.

Most scriptures quoted are either from the New International Version or the New King James Version

For healing:

· Exodus 15:26: "If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and will listen to and obey His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord Who heals you. "

· Exodus 23:25: “You shall serve the LORD your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst.”

· Psalm 91:9-10: “Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your habitation, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.”

· Psalm 91:14-16: “Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honour him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him my salvation.”

· Psalm 103:1-5: “Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.”

· Psalm 107:8, 19-21: “Let them thank the LORD for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to the sons of men! Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress; He sent forth his word, and healed them, and delivered them from destruction.”

· Psalm 118:17: “I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.”

· Proverbs 4:20-24: “My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to him who finds them, and healing to all his flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance; for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.”

· Isaiah 53:4-5: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.”

· Jeremiah 17:14: “Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For you are my praise.”

· Jeremiah 30:17: “For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, says the LORD.”

· Matthew 8:2-3: “a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean." And he stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”

· Matthew 8:16-17: “That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases."

· Matthew 18:18-19: Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in Heaven.

· Mark 10:27: Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God."

For chemotherapy:

· Mark 16:17-18: “And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."

For strength:

· Isaiah 40:29, 31: He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

· Isaiah 41:10: “fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.”

· 2 Corinthians 12:9-10: “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

· Psalm 92:12-15: “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those who are planted in the house of the Lord Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.”

· Psalm 29:11: “The Lord will give strength to His people; The Lord will bless His people with peace.”

Depression and anxiety:

· Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

· Matthew 6:31-34: “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

· Isaiah 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour.”

Insomnia:

· Psalm 4:8: “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

· Psalm 3:5: “I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

· Psalm 91:1: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

The Benediction (blessing prayer):

Numbers 6:24-26: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”