An Update on Joey & Request For Prayer and Fasting

I was able to get to the hospital last night and spend some time with Eliz, both sets of grandparents, and a couple other prayer warriors.  I never did get to see Nick & Joey, but we prayed together in the Family Room on the same floor and had a really sweet time in prayer and fellowship for awhile.

Nick put out a CaringBridge post a short time later titled "Update (iPad)":
          http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joeykeller

One thing I did learn that I think I can share is that Joey is NOT intubated (not on a ventilator) as I had thought.  That was good news.  Per Nick's post though, there's not much other good news right now.  As he stated, things are continuing to decline - quickly.  Without a miracle, it could be a matter of days or even hours from a medical perspective.

What we need, pure and simple, is a touch from God - exactly what He has done so many times over the past many months (years!) bringing Joey back from the brink.  The episode with the seizures a few weeks ago where Joey had become completely unresponsive and some of the doctors were even recommending "pulling the plug" at one point, is powerful evidence of God's divine hand upon our little brother Joey.  Only a week later, Joey was back home and the doctors were stumped as to why there was no brain damage showing up in test results from the seizures.

The Lord definitely showed up last night as we prayed.  The sense of peace and power that filled the room in which we prayed was amazing and wonderful.  We can ALL be assured that our God is well aware of Joey's need, of all our thousands of requests and petitions on his behalf, and He is most surely at work in the situation.

Knowing what He is up to - what His will and His plan is - is another matter sometimes.  But we can ALWAYS rest in absolute certainty that our Father has all our best interests in His heart and plans for us ... especially Joey's. 

I want, with all my heart, soul, mind, and spirit, to see Joey healed.  And I have absolutely no reason whatsoever, at this moment, to believe that God wants anything different.  So unless and until He reveals that His plan is anything other than a complete healing for Joey, I intend to continue to pray, fast, intercede, do spiritual battle, and pronounce healing to him with all the faith and "belief" I can muster ... and to encourage as many others as I can to do the same.

We recognize, of course, the possibility that God's will may very well be different from our own or at times, even hidden from us no matter how hard we seek to discern it.  He's God, and we're not. He is not constrained or in any way obligated to tell us all His plans and intentions.  In fact, it is absolutely staggering that He chooses to do so at all!  Yet it is often His pleasure and desire to reveal Himself to us that we may know Him and trust Him better.  But even in those times when we do not understand His will or His actions, we can rest with absolute certainty that He is planning and working for the best possible outcome for Joey and all involved.  We know that God is perfectly, completely, and consistently good, loving, gracious, and holy in everything He does.  Period!  We often mistakenly state that God's attribute of "omnipotence" means He can do ANYTHING.  But that is not true.  There are many things God cannot do.  He cannot lie, He cannot sin, He cannot learn, in fact He cannot do anything that is inconsistent with His nature - which includes perfect love and perfect grace.  So when we find ourselves disagreeing with God's choices or actions, that speaks only of our fallibility and limited understanding of the situation.

Unfortunately, that does not mean that we'll "feel good" about everything that God does.  There will be grief, pain, suffering, hardship, and death in all our lives.  We are promised this (John 16:33, Matt 13:21, Jas 1:2, 1Pet 1:6, etc.).  Our maturity comes when we learn to trust God through the midst of these hardships and still know that "... in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -- Rom 8:28

I have not spoken much about this line of thinking because, frankly, I really do believe that God will yet heal Joey.  And I want to do my very best to pray BELIEVING that he will recover (Mt 10:1, 8; Mk 16:18; Lk 9:1-2, 10:9, etc.)

So if you believe that our God heals, I continue to exhort and encourage you to stand with us fasting, praying, and pronouncing God's healing upon Joey.  Things have once again become desperate in that little room in downtown Indianapolis - and from a human medical perspective, even "hopeless".  But there is no such thing as "hopelessness" in Jesus Christ.  And as Nick has said so many times before, if it weren't impossible, it wouldn't be a miracle when it happens!! 

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So if you consider yourself a Christian, please join or continue with us:

FASTING:
If you are willing, we highly encourage you to fast along with your prayers.  I hope to create another blog post on the subject in the near future about fasting in general, but there's lots of info out there if you're not familiar with this spiritual discipline.  Remember that it doesn't have to be a "total fast" (all food) - a "partial fast" (certain foods or kinds of foods) can be effective, and it doesn't even have to be food.  We can fast TV or media, or a hobby, etc.  Please pray about where God would lead you in this regard.


PRAYER:
1. Complete and immediate healing for Joey.  Again, I hope to create another blog about my thoughts on healing prayer in general in the near future - but let me sum up in this way.  I believe there are two kinds of ways to pray for healing.

1. Intercessory Prayer - letting our "requests be made known to God" (Phil 4:6-7), 
2. True "Healing Prayer" - this may not technically be a "prayer", but rather an exercising of the authority that Jesus gives to His disciples when He sends out both the 12 on one occasion and 70 on another occasion commanding them to "heal the sick" "in My name" (along with casting out demons, raising the dead, and preaching the Kingdom.) (Mt 10:1, 8; Mk 16:18; Lk 9:1-2, 10:9, etc.).  If you are a Christian, then the authority of Jesus' name is given to you to do these things. Of course it must still be in-line with the will of God, but this teaches us how we should pray for the sick.

2. All damage caused by cancer, infection, or treatments would be healed and those tissues and systems strengthened and made whole and functioning properly again.

3. Similar to the "Healing Prayer" above, Jesus gave His followers (in the same verses) authority to drive out evil spirits. His followers returned rejoicing saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."  Use this authority given to you to drive out any such spirits that may be involved in what is happening to Joey and destroy their works.

4. That ALL of Joey's being would be renewed, refreshed, rejuvenated, and regenerated - Body, Heart, Mind, Soul, and Spirit - to total health, wellness, peace, and joy.

5. That God will continue to raise-up, "burden", and work through faithful Christians through whom the Spirit can minister to Joey and the family - through prayer, through laying on of hands, through encouragement, ministry, helps, and all the other spiritual gifts that can be of benefit to the family.

6. That God would be glorified through all this.  That many would come to know Him or know Him better and learn to trust in Him and commit their lives to Him.


As always: THANK YOU for your prayers, encouragement, and faithfulness on behalf of the Kellers.

- Tim -

P.S.  I was really taken with this posting by Joni Earekson Tada this morning.  Seems to speak directly to the situation at hand in a way that she is uniquely qualified to do:
http://www.joniandfriends.org/radio/5-minute/enter-storehouses/#.UKaNmvxqD3M.facebook

A Prayer for Joey

Gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we come to you now in supplication for Joseph Keller and his family. Please lead us now in this time of prayer and hear the cry of our hearts.

We thank you for bringing the Kellers into our lives and for the privilege of being a part of all you have done and continue do in and through Joey, Nick and Elizabeth.  We praise You how deeply and graciously You have touched and sustained them through this most difficult trial.  We worship and adore You as Creator and Sustainer of all life and all living things.  We honor you as Creator of the Universe and Master of all.  You, and You alone, define love, grace, goodness, mercy, and joy, and we look to You now on behalf of Joey, Nicolas, and Elizabeth in this hour of desperate need.  You formed Joey from the beginning of his conception and indeed knew him from before time itself was created or the foundations of the world were laid.  And his life and Your plans for his life are before you at all times.  We have seen Your hand at work in his life on so many occasions to keep him from the jaws of untimely death and to heal the damage to his body from diseases and treatments.  We thank You and praise You and worship You for your mercy and grace to this point.

We now ask You to touch Joey again with Your power and bring release from disease and suffering, restoration to health, and regeneration within his body to strength and long life.  And we believe completely that this is Your will for him as we have seen You move in this same way so many times before.

You have granted to us who believe, access to the awesome and powerful name of Jesus and You have commanded us to use it in battle against our enemy and his kingdom as well as against sickness and disease. And so it is in the mighty name of Jesus and by the power of His shed blood that I come against Satan now on behalf of the Kellers.  I command any and all foul and unclean spirits to immediately cease and desist all activity regarding Joey Keller, his parents Nick and Elizabeth, his doctors, nurses, and any other hospital staff, family, and visitors associated with his case and care.  You are commanded to be gone from the Keller's room along with any backups, replacements, or other such beings or devices of your use or influence and to have no further contact or influence upon these people, or the equipment, facilities, or processes associated with Joey's case and care.  I tear down and destroy any strongholds, footholds, attachments, or links that may exist to these people and objects and declare that you are forbidden to return or have any further contact or influence with any of the people, objects, places, or processes I have named.  In the name of our Lord God and Savior - Yeshua HaMashiach, get out and stay out.

Father, I ask for you to fill that hospital room, and indeed the entire ward, with your presence, power, glory, majesty, light, love, peace, and healing energy.  I ask that your Holy Spirit would descend upon that room and all those present and all who enter it.  Surround, fill, and permeate every part Joey's, Nick's, and Elizabeth's beings with Your supernatural peace, comfort, hope, trust, and faith.  Envelop them in Your love and light and holiness and cause them to rest in the knowledge and faith of Your control and Your promise to work ALL things - even THIS trial - into a pattern for good for them.

Please set your hedge of protection round about Joey's bed, about the room, and about the entire ward and post your angelic guard to the north, south, east, and west, from the floor beneath to the roof above, and at ever access point that no creature would be allowed to enter except they be about Your business.

Let your presence fill their hearts, minds, and the very atmosphere of their room with a dramatic and powerful Peace, Hope, Reassurance, Comfort, and JOY that comes from knowing You and the perfect confidence that You are in control and that You will cause all things to work out for good and in Your perfect plan for Joey and all those involved.

Father, I pray as specifically as I know how for Joey and his current afflictions.  In his body, I pray against every form of sickness, disease, infirmity, and malady.  I pray specifically against cancer - in all its forms and causes, and against the seizures he's been having - in all their forms and causes.  I ask that You would destroy every last trace of cancer, malignancy, and mutation currently in his body - in every system, in every organ, in every tissue, in every cell, in every gene, in every protein, in ever enzyme and amino acid - down to every last molecule of his being.  Destroy every malignant, mutated, or out-of-place molecule or cell and prevent them from reproducing.  Cause his own immune system to be restored and to recognize and attack and destroy every malformed molecule and cell and to rebuild and strengthen its own ability to protect him.  Cause all tissue and cellular damage to be repaired immediately or replaced with good cells and tissues.  Bring all chemical and physiological processes back into balance and proper functioning.

I pray for the other aspects of Joey's being to be healed, restored, and strengthened as well - his heart, mind, soul, and spirit.  Renew, restore, rejuvenate and regenerate  all aspects of his being and their dependencies and interactions in both the physical and non-physical realms.  Bring Joey back to complete health, vigor, strength, and life in every way he has need.

I pray too for his parents Nick and Elizabeth.  Descend up on them both in power. Open their eyes and ears to Your presence and Your work.  Fill them and guard their minds with the Peace of Jesus and remove all fear and doubt.  Give them rest - physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually ... cause them to rest in You and renew, restore, rejuvenate, and regenerate them in their hearts, minds, souls, and spirits.  Draw them to a confidence in Your power, providence, and will and willingness to heal their little boy and let it bring them to a point of rest and peace in You.  Give them wisdom and courage to stand firm in their faith, and to make good decisions and right actions on behalf of Joey and all the other burdens and responsibilities they bear.  We ask also for your mercy and grace where Nick's job is concerned that his employer would be gracious and as accommodating as possible to the family through this trial.

I pray that You would continue to raise up family, friends, and other Christians to support, encourage, and share in carrying the burdens the Kellers bear during this time as well.  Whether through finances, food, caring for the house, or any other way that the Body of Christ can find to bless and support and encourage them.  But most of all, I pray that Your Holy Spirit would continue to go forth raising up even more who would pray, intercede, and fast on behalf of Joey and his family.  Place Your burden for prayer upon the hearts of those whom You would call to help and work alongside the Kellers.  Do not let Your people hear the story of Joey and walk away unburdened for intercession.  Work through these events in the lives of those who have been touched by this trial to make us better, more disciplined prayer warriors and intercessors, more other-centered, and more faithful.  Draw people unto Yourself through these events and let us all come away with a deeper relationship to You, and a deeper understanding and commitment to prayer in general.

Most of all Father, I pray that all these things would not be in vain; that there would come from these events the greatest possible good for all those involved, but most especially for You and Your kingdom.  May all the lessons available to be learned here - whether in Joey, his parents, the doctors and medical staff, the prayer team, or the casual passersby - be learned and learned well.  May each person come away changed by these events in a way that ultimately brings glory to You and draws more people to You and deeper in their walk with You and Your Word.  Let no lesson be lost.

Hear our prayer Father.  Show Thyself strong and loving and gracious - as Master over all life and death and sickness and infirmity.  Glorify Thy name before men and especially among those who would deny You or place their trust and hope in the wisdom and acts of Man rather than You.

We love You and thank You and worship You and glorify Thy mighty and holy name before all men and before the hosts of heaven.  For You alone are worthy to receive all glory and honor and power and praise.  Your's is the kingdom and glory and the power forever.

All these things we ask in the name that is above all names - the glorious, powerful, wonderful, precious name of Jesus.

Amen.

Prayer Requests for Joey: A Call For Intercessors

Daniel finally had his counts high enough today for us to get started on the long, final phase of his Chemo treatment (Lord willing!)  Phase 5 or "Maintenance".  This is planned to take us to mid-April of 2015 with monthly (instead of weekly) clinic visits.  Still a very long road ahead, but it's very nice to be past the most intensive parts of the therapy barring a (God forbid) relapse or other set-back of any type.

As Daniel came out of the anesthesia from the spinal tap procedure and we prepared to leave, we discussed stopping over at the Simon Tower to see if we could possibly get in to see the Kellers before leaving.  I was kind of skeptical that we'd be able to get into the ICU at all since we aren't family and hadn't even contacted them about it ahead of time.  But it was worth a shot.  Something I've learned about hospitals in general is, it's usually best to just pretend like you know what you're doing and are supposed to be there - don't ask if it's OK, just tell them what you've come to do. :)  Well, despite a few "looks", I basically walked right in - got a nurse to show me to their room, got suited up (gown, mask, gloves, etc. - we know this drill already) and walked into a room FILLED with people.

The first thing I noticed (other than the unexpectedly large number of people in the room) was that Joey noticed me and looked right at me. I gave him a big smile and said, "hello!" and then moved over to where Nick and Elizabeth were conferring with someone.  We spoke for a few moments but then decided to move out of the room to a small conference room across the hall.  This gave me a chance to let Andrea in but Daniel had to wait outside the ward in the waiting room.  However, between his "healies" (shoes with wheels) and the wheel chair I'd gotten for him, he found plenty to keep himself occupied.

We talked with Nick and Eliz for quite awhile - I'm thinking it was about 45 minutes or more - I was SO happy to have the opportunity to really hear from them what was happening and to relay to them what everyone was doing with the prayer vigils.  They were really encouraged to hear about the round-the-clock coverage and emphasized that, by far, prayer is the most coveted gift they needed right now.  Believe me, I know the feeling exactly!!  It's difficult to put into words just how precious is the knowledge that others are praying for you when you're in such a dark and helpless place as they've been in for the last 5 days or so.

As I write this, Nick has just put out another post which also helps to tell the story that he's titled "Mixed Bag".  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/joeykeller

It's increasingly apparent from his writing just how tired he really is - so obviously that's a huge prayer request by itself.  Elizabeth is not far behind though I think she shows it less ... she is a rock! :)

As we all began to talk, Nick unfolded the past 48hrs or so of events, discussions, conundrums, differing ideas between doctors as to the causes (and possible solutions), and the unimaginable saga they've been living through for nearly a week of watching, literally, every breath their precious son takes ... or doesn't.  Praying for hours at a time, coaching him like a prize fighter to initiate every breath when they put him through their daily "breathing tests" and searching fervently for any sign of improvement, hope, and the spark "Joey" still inside the mass of tubes, wires, monitors, and all the nightmare that is a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

I won't take the space to go through all the different conversations and test results and opinions and options here, but I think I can summarize the whole thing into two vitally important points:

1. The medical staff doesn't have a clue as to what's going on.  Those who know me at all aren't surprised to hear me say that anyway - but in this case, it's literally true.  Nobody really has any idea what caused these episodes or how to fix it (medically).  The ideas being offered, as Nick has communicated a couple times now) are as different and varied as night and day.  And for something this big, that is nothing short of astounding.  To date, as best I understand it, no test result has shown ANYTHING that could be causing this.  And consequently, no clear path forward is available either.

2. What I'm about to write is MY opinion, but based on what I heard and saw today - in my opinion, the medical staff working Joey's case is, itself, a big problem.  Many of the ICU doctors are not cancer doctors and quite simply don't even understand Joey's background, his case history, much less the nature of what is happening now.  But they seem very quick to offer their opinions to Nick and Elizabeth about their need to prepare for the worst.  As Nick's latest CaringBridge entry highlighted, they seem to be in a hurry for some reason to bring about a resolution - which to them looks very dark - and seem to even be setting deadlines for Joey's recovery.  Admittedly, I have only bits and pieces of information and likely have some of this wrong, but I can tell you - and this is the main point - there appears to be a very important, very dark, and very powerful spiritual dimension to what is going on here.  It is weighing heavily on all 3 of the Kellers, and could (and I emphasize "could") be just as important, if not more so, a part of the problem as any of the physical problems (which, again, have yet to be identified).

What follows is really targeted for those readers who have some experience or at least knowledge of what the Bible calls "spiritual warfare" (yes, I'm talking Eph 6 "principalities, ... powers, ... rulers of the darkness of this age, ... spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.").  So if that's not your bag, this may be a good stopping point.  Thank you so VERY much for your continued thoughts and prayers for the Kellers. Please keep up the great work!!

Blessings,

- Tim -

For the Intercessors & Prayer Warriors 
(And those willing to learn!)

For the "initiated", I'll pass on a bit more info that Nick and Elizabeth shared from a non-medical perspective.  First, it's easy to get angry at what I heard some of the doctors have been doing, saying, implying, and worst of all, saying right in front of Joey.  They described more than one occasion when these statements about "end of life" had a visible effect on Joey as well as on his breathing.  Personally, if it were my son, I'd probably have these doctors removed from the room and from the case.  As far as I'm concerned, that's not just a lack of courtesy and even decency, it's actually malpractice.  But OK, I'm not gonna get started on that.  I don't even want to focus on that because I think this has Eph 6:12 written all over it ... "FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD..." but against all those bad guys I mentioned earlier.  That applies to Joey's physical body as well as to the doctors.  I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say I believe something much bigger is in play here.  Nick and Elizabeth didn't come right out and state this, so recognize you're hearing MY assessment here and any disagreement / criticism can be leveled at me. But they DID describe enough details and specific examples for me to come away pretty certain that there is, at the very least, a strong spiritual dimension to this that requires direct intercession and FASTING (but I'll come back to that part.)

Nick and Eliz described frequently feeling a darkness, heaviness, a sense of "depression" and "giving up" atmosphere within the room and sometimes specifically associated with certain of the doctors.  They described some of the conversations I described earlier being held in front of Joey (which the Kellers are now trying very hard to enforce that they happen OUTSIDE the room).  Nick physically illustrated to me Joey curling up into a ball, and used the word "withering" when a particular doctor began talking about "pulling the plug" or designing "end of life" care.  He stated that there are certain doctors that, when they just come into the room, Joey has a reaction - sometimes with physical movement, sometimes setting off the respirator alarm because he suddenly has trouble breathing - but it's associated with specific people.  Conversely, he described how, a day or two ago, they played praise music and remained in prayer for 4hrs straight, uninterrupted and Joey didn't have a single alarm the entire 4hrs ... and he was asleep at that!  i.e. It's easier for him to breathe consistently when he's awake and people are encouraging him & coaching him. To go 4hrs asleep, with no alarms, is a really positive thing.  And it happened while there was worship music and prayer going on for him.

So again, not focusing on the doctors or any other "flesh and blood" - I have enough experience in this realm to be convinced that it is well worth our while to be focusing on the spiritual side of this battle.  Those who have followed Joey's story for any length of time know what an extraordinary little boy his is.  God CLEARLY has a special call on his life and I have no doubt that the enemy knows good and well that this is a threat that he wants "taken out"!  The darkness, depression, heaviness, talk of death, and mysterious illnesses with no medical explanations are ALL the enemy's calling cards.  And the fact that things improve ... dramatically ... when an atmosphere of praise and worship fills the room is also a powerful indicator of what's happening here.

Nick and Elizabeth, having these kinds of thoughts as well, are trying desperately to fight this battle on their own ... providing their own round-the-clock prayer coverage and intercession on their son's behalf.  Clearly, that's not humanly possible and they're running on fumes as it is.  Those of you who expressed to me that you'd been feeling a similar burden to mine about doing round-the-clock "organized" prayer over the past few days should be recognizing that God has been calling us together to battle this along side Joey's parents ... to "hold up their arms" if you're familiar with that story from Moses' life (Ex 17).

So those of you who understand the concept of "Intercessory Prayer", and know how to use the authority given to believers in the name of Jesus Christ, need to be focusing your prayers in this regard ... coming against and tearing down the schemes and strongholds of the enemy, setting up perimeters of protection, and binding / casting out foul spirits wherever they may be attempting to affect the Kellers, the medical staff, or even the equipment & facilities of the room and ward where Joey is.  Let the Holy Spirit guide your prayers, and if you're familiar what I mean when I say "let the Holy Spirit pray through you", then get on that too! :-)

My last point here is something I believe the Lord led me to specifically this evening during my own prayer time.  I don't yet know exactly how this will play out, but He is also calling apart a certain delegation of "fasters" to add some extra firepower to this battle.  If you're familiar with fasting and you feel God's touch on your shoulder to participate in that, please do so as soon as you're directed.  I think God will be touching a lot of "shoulders" in that regard in the near future. I just need to figure out a way to kinda pull that effort together as well (pray for me too! haha).

Thank you for your steadfastness, your self-sacrifice, and for all the interceding you're about to do on behalf of Joey and the Kellers.  I don't know exactly what's in store for us in the next few days, but I do believe that God is moving in His people and will be bringing this battle to a climax soon.  Keep your spiritual "ears" open to how He leads, and I'll try to figure out a kind of "forum" for the "prayer warriors" / intercessors to keep in better touch with in the very near future.

Grace and Peace to all,

- Tim -