healthcare

Your Doctor’s Advise – Misunderstanding can lead to BAD Decisions

Posted on by Michelle Fritsch, Pharm.D.
Good communication with your doctor
Let us help you avoid misunderstanding with your doctor.

Have you ever experienced misunderstanding with someone?  Did that lead you to make a bad decision?  If you had understood the original message, would you have made a different decision?

I have had two client examples this week.

Misunderstanding what the doctor said

In one instance, the doctor had said something about the pain medicine and the stomach acid medicine should not be taken together.  This person has had a long history of Barrett’s Esophagus – a severe inflammation of the esophagus cause by extreme gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).  To break that down, this person’s stomach acid was going back up the esophagus – the tube from the mouth to the stomach.  Normally there is a sphincter that closes to keep the acid safely in the stomach.  In many of us, that sphincter can become loose or have a condition that keeps it from completely closing.  When that happens, the acid can go back up the esophagus. Indigestion, burping, pain and/or burning in the mid chest area can result.  The acid inflames the esophagus lining.  When that inflammation becomes severe, the inflammation can lead to Barrett’s Esophagus.  So the stomach acid medicine was VERY important!

This person’s other issue was low back pain due to a herniated (bulging) disk and sciatic pain. Sciatic pain results in pain and burning from the lower back and spreading through the buttocks and the leg. It is caused by irritation of the sciatic nerve, common with lower back issues.

When this person heard the doctor say the stomach acid medicine and the pain medicine shouldn’t be taken together, the person decided to STOP the stomach acid medicine.  The sciatic pain was the ‘bigger issue’, so if both couldn’t be taken, the pain medicine took priority.  The doctor was not told.

The client heard ’these medicines shouldn’t be taken together’.  The more complete answer is, the pain medicine will make the stomach acid and esophagus irritation even worse.  There are safer pain medicine options that won’t make the Barrett’s Esophagus worse.  The person should DEFINITELY be on both a stomach acid medicine and a pain medicine. The pain medicine should just be changed to a safer option.

This was explained, and this person is now on a safer medication regimen for both conditions.

Another Misunderstanding Example

Another recent example was a man with severe vascular issues and lung cancer.

The lung and cancer doctors had together told him and his family there is no more they could do. They recommended hospice care. Hospice care was accepted.

The vascular issues caused very little blood flow to the feet.  As a result, one foot and lower leg had been amputated a few months ago. The second leg and foot are now very infected.  The foot infection is causing severe pain.  Hospice is treating the pain with morphine.  The morphine makes the patient’s stomach upset and dulls his thinking.

His wife understands that the hospice doctor is now his doctor rather than his specialists and primary doctor from before.  The hospice nurses visits regularly, but the doctor has not.  His wife is very upset that the doctor is doing nothing to heal the infection.  She also feels he is very overmedicated since his memory and decision making are slowed due to the morphine.

When we discussed goals – quality vs quantity of life – they each indicated the specialists who recommended hospice had asked that.  They chose quality.  However, they didn’t understand that this would mean a rather rapid decline with the untreated lung cancer and foot infection.  They thought he would be able to back to the things he loves like working on projects around the house and cooking.   They see a decline in quality of life rather than the expected increase.

Now they want to go back to the specialists and change their minds.  It has been six months of no curative treatment.  There is most likely no way to alter the pending outcome.

Essential Clear Communication

Healthcare visits can feel fast and pressured.  Any time there is bad news involved, it is hard to fully hear and process all that is being communicated.  These and other communication issues lead to misunderstanding of healthcare information. This is NOT an uncommon problem.

Another contributing factor is difficulty reaching the doctor after getting home to request clarification.  Most doctors are given schedules that make it difficult to squeeze in phone calls.  So, it is always best to receive, process, and fully understand the information while you have the doctor’s full attention during an appointment.

At Meds MASH and Retirement Wellness Strategies, we are your advocate.  You have guidance to prepare for medical visits by assuring you have your questions ready and the information your doctor needs organized and clear.  We also attend the visit with you by video when you want that.

After the visit, we can provide a wealth of information to further explain any new conditions or medications.  We can even contact your doctor(s) on your behalf to obtain any needed clarification.

Call today at 410-472-5078 and ask for Michelle Fritsch, Pharm.D.  Or e-mail at michelle@medsmash.com.   Check out more at www.medsmash.comor www.retirewellness.com.

BIBLICAL APPLICATION

Miscommunication and misunderstanding can lead to so many preventable problems.  I often ask this question of students in the health professions. ‘Tell me about a time miscommunication led to a bad outcome.’  Usually the answers involve people going to different restaurants or friends having an argument.  One time, while teaching active duty military healthcare providers, the example was of an international hunt for a notorious terrorist.  The terrorist had been found and surrounded, but a delay in the order to detain him resulted in his escape.  What an example!

The Bible has much instruction about good communication.

This Psalmist knows exactly how much trouble our words can cause:

Psalm 141:3 ESV

Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!

Our communication is instructed to build people up and turn them to Christ.

Ephesians 4:29 ESV

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Colossians 4:6 ESV

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

I know I have spoken in frustration and said words I regretted.  I know I have neglected to speak up when my support could have been very helpful to someone else.  I know I have said the wrong thing and caused more harm than good, usually out of complete ignorance or insensitivity.

Proverbs 15:2 ESV / 176 helpful votes

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

One of my frequent prayers in the morning is, ‘Lord please fill me up and pour me out today.’  I ask to be poured out with the Lord’s words and attitudes and sensitivities.

Psalm 19:14 ESV

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

I certainly can’t be trusted to do this on my own, but with the Lord’s guidance, excellent communication can make a huge positive difference in the lives we meet!

Blessings,

Michelle

Advertisement
9 steps to your best health

Taking 9 Key Steps to Your Best Health

Posted on by Michelle Fritsch, Pharm.D.
9 steps to your best health
Here are 9 steps to get you to your best health

I know you want to feel good. I’ll bet you have a whole list of experiences in your plans for the future. You might be feeling great these days. You might be struggling with some health issues. You might be navigating some transitions in your life or some emotional conflicts.

I want you to be the healthiest version of you, in your best health! As I’ve been thinking about this, I’ve broken a process into steps. I’m hoping by following these steps, your health continues and gets even better.

Steps to your Best Health

  1. Pay attention to your body. Remember when a new symptom starts; what makes it better; what makes it worse; how long it lasts; what you think caused it.
  2. If it is severe, scary, or won’t go away, be sure to tell your doctor.
  3. Before you see your doctor, make a list of the items in #1 so you won’t feel pressured to remember. Write your list and make 2 copies – one for you and one for your doctor.
  4. Take to all healthcare visits a complete list of all medicines and other substances you take, how you take them, and when you take them. This includes your vitamins, supplements, recreational substances, and over-the-counter medications. Include even the ones you only take for a stomachache, allergies, or a headache.
  5. Take notes during your visit. We all know how easy it is to miss something, forget, or get it all confused when trying to remember it all from memory.
  6. Make sure it all makes sense to you and you clearly know what you are to do next before you leave. It is ok to ask to hear it all again until you really understand. Once your doctor explains what is causing your symptoms and recommends a plan, ask when you should feel better.
    1. Too many times I have asked people what their doctor said and heard, ‘I have no idea; I couldn’t understand him/her.’
  7. If you receive a prescription for a new medication, make sure you know the name, what it is for, how to take it, and what you can expect. All medications have the potential for side effects, at least right at first, so know what these might be. Know if you will be taking it for a short time or a long time. Ask your pharmacist to be sure this new medication is not going to interact with your current medications. (Be sure your pharmacist knows everything you take.)
  8. Keep track of your original symptoms and any other changes you notice after you start your new treatment. If you don’t feel better in the timeframe the doctor told you, call and report that. If you feel worse when you start a new medication, let your doctor and pharmacist know. Either of them can help you determine if your new problem is caused by the medication and what you should do (do something to stop the side effects or give you a different medication).
  9. Take care of yourself! Once you are feeling better, make an effort to take even more healthy steps such as healthy eating and regular exercise. I know we hear that all of the time. That is because these are the changes that will truly help you feel your very best.

What is the link between medications and your best health?

You’ll note that some of the steps specifically include medications. Medications can:

  • Cure
  • Control medical problems
  • Make symptoms better
  • Prevent problems
  • Harm

Depending on the medical condition and the medication, any of these four good purposes or the bad effect can occur.

Medications are prescribed for at least one of the positive effects of medications. Your doctor and your pharmacist want the medication to play a direct role in you reaching your best health.

Medications can interact with other medications. The ONLY WAY your doctor or pharmacist can check for this is if they know absolutely EVERY medication you take. Medications can interact with other medications, with food, or with other medical conditions. That is why you want your healthcare team to know everything about your prescription medicines, your over-the-counter medicines, your supplements, you herbal remedies, your vitamins, and any recreational substance use. It is all important!

This is one of the key services we offer you at Meds MASH. If you want someone to very carefully evaluate all of your medications, your symptoms, and things you think might be caused by your medications, we can do that!

To get started, contact us at 410-472-4078 or www.medsmash.com/contact. Let’s talk about how we can help you reach your best health!

BIBLICAL APPLICATION

I am reading a book that led to an interesting insight as I have been thinking about the stepwise approach to best health. The steps outlined above are each important to reaching your best health.

What about your best spiritual health?   After all, true health has physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual components. Nothing outranks your relationship with Christ.

The book I have been reading is related to our brain. A neuroscience physician has studied the brain and its function in the light of both science and the Bible. If you haven’t read, ‘The God-Shaped Brain’ by Timothy R. Jennings, M.D., I highly recommend it.

In a very insufficient summary, our brains are at their peak function when we are in a secure, peaceful, loving environment. The brain is a very adaptable organ. There is one part of the brain that drives our ‘fight or flight’ response. This is what happens when we sense we are in danger. When this part of the brain is functioning, all deep reasoning is blocked. All brain effort is focused on primal survival. It is when we are more relaxed that other parts of our brain creating deep thoughts, logical decision-making, and empathy can function.

I was in high school when Pac-Man was first available. We had to go across the state line to another nearby town to play it in a pizza restaurant. The object is to maneuver Pac-Man through a maze to eat as many ‘points’ as possible. Some of the turns lead to danger for Pac-Man or to dead-ends.

Strangely enough, living in love, peace, and harmony made me think of our life like Pac-Man. Picture, if you will, a large canvas with a circuitous, clear path that has no obstacles that you can see when you look down on the entire canvas. This path is full of points, many points. Surrounding this path, at every turn, there are obstacles. Many of these obstacles are distractions. They are things that feel good, things that look good, or things that feel necessary. From within the maze, you can’t see the clear path. You can only see what is right around you. Those distractions look so good! They often seem to be on the easiest route. They promise you lots of points. So, you easily get off track with the distractions.

Our brain, our life, and our health are at their best when we are on the clear path. And yet there is not one human on the planet who has not left the path and made mistakes. Not ONE! Only Jesus was ever able to do that.

We can each be so much more at peace and living in love when we stay on the path. There is only one tour guide. Jesus can and will tell you step by step which way to turn. He will tell you which items are distractions and which are on his planned path for you. Your brain will be functioning at higher levels as you live in peace and love.

1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

God knew from the beginning, as soon as Adam and Eve ate the fruit, that we would be on this path with many distractions. Eden, before that fruit eating, was the only place where people ever lived in perfect harmony, peace, and love. As soon as those first people used their own will to go outside God’s command, everything changed.

To allow your brain to operate in its most effective way, and to live in love and peace, let Jesus be your tour guide.

Psalm 119:15 ESV

I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.

Philippians 4:8 ESV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

1 Corinthians 7:35 ESV

I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord.

Here’s to being in your best health – physical, mental, emotional, AND spiritual!

Blessings,

Michelle

Gratitude and Satisfaction – Healthcare Perspective

Posted on by Michelle Fritsch, Pharm.D.
jamaica-group-wait
Have you expressed gratitude for your healthcare?

When was the last time you expressed gratitude for your healthcare? How often are you satisfied with the healthcare you receive? When do you suppose is the last time your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, medical assistant, intake/discharge specialist, or billing office received a ‘Thank you!’?

I encourage you to take a moment and list the last five benefits you received from your healthcare providers?

Here is my current list:

  1. Emergency services in the middle of a blizzard for a head injury for a child.
  2. A surgeon and many, many supportive people for a rotator cuff repair.
  3. A patient, engaging ophthalmologist helping a frustrated teen with vision-related headaches.
  4. Access to an annual mammogram with follow up ultrasound whenever something looks suspicious.
  5. Preventative vaccines and personalized guidance from my physician in preparation for third-world healthcare provision.

Healthcare gratitude I experienced in Jamaica

I can’t stop thinking about my week in Jamaica and the many insights I took away. I was honored to serve with a team of about 20 people caring for people in St. Mary Parish, an underserved portion of Jamaica. We had physicians, nurses, pharmacists, medical records, check-in, child-care, and spiritual support specialists. (Remember that spiritual health is a key aspect to overall health).

Two situations have especially stood out to me. One was a woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014. She was treated with a mastectomy. She did not have access to radiation or chemotherapy. Now, in 2016, she had a lump under her arm. The physician prescribed an antibiotic. We are all hoping and praying it is an infected cyst and not cancer. Guess what? She was grateful for the care and for the antibiotics! She did not demand other therapy. She was not disgruntled. [Maybe she doesn’t know how it would be treated in a developed country with insurance. Then again, her gratitude and lack of stress over options can actually be to her benefit.]

The other situation was a young boy with low hemoglobin, so he was anemic. Hemoglobin carries oxygen throughout the body. There are several possible causes of anemia in a child. We were able to give him multivitamins and iron supplements. His mother was surprised to hear he was anemic. He was outside playing with the other children as we talked about the medicine. When he came in she showed me how strong and healthy he looks. She was very satisfied with the vitamins and iron. I couldn’t help but think how differently that exchange would likely be here in the US. Parents would want a series of tests to rule out any obscure implication of the anemia. [Note, anemia in children is not uncommon in Jamaica. Children are breastfed for an extended period by mothers who do not have prenatal vitamins. Then, because meat is expensive, the diet has less iron in it.]

Health benefits of gratitude

It is so easy to find fault in other people and in systems. Add the element of fear that comes with medical diagnoses, and people often have very negative reactions in the healthcare setting. That increases stress for the patient, any caregivers with the patient, the physician, and all members of the healthcare team.

Consider the benefits of gratitude instead. Gratitude can:

  • Boost your spirits and sense of well-being
  • Boost your immune system making you less likely to get sick
  • Decrease your chances of heart disease
  • Improve your performance (job, concentration)
  • Bust your stress

By all means, when mistakes are made they need to be addressed. But mistakes are not the norm. People go to school for many, many years to be able to provide the best healthcare they can provide.

We saw hundreds of patients in very hot August in Jamaica in churches with no air conditioning and few fans. And I only heard one person complain over five very full days. That woman didn’t understand why the man next to her got more diabetes medication than she got. Once she understood it took more medicine to manage his sugar she was satisfied.

If you would like to hear more about my trip to Jamaica or about the health benefit of gratitude, contact me at www.medsmash.com/newsblog/.

BIBLICAL APPLICATION

Life feels so different when we live in gratitude rather than dissatisfaction. Negativity stresses us out and ultimately kills us.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

I have a new source of gratitude this week.

Do you ever have a God moment when something becomes so clear? I received the best analogy this week. And I can’t wait to tell you about it!

It likens faith with a child going on vacation.

When a family is going on vacation, the child knows the mom or other adult will pack the clothes, the snacks, the sunscreen, the towels, and anything needed for that vacation. The child knows someone will take care of the directions, putting gas in the tank, making hotel reservations, and other travel details. The child knows there will be a safe place to sleep, some fun adventures along the way, food to eat, and all basic needs will be met. The child gets in the car when told it’s time and follows the lead of the adults who have planned the trip. The child is along for the fun with no stress and no second-guessing the plans.

Wow, isn’t that like faith? God’s got this! He has plans for your life. He has plans for each year, month, day, minute, … Faith is being the child with full faith in the adults who are in charge of the details.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Isaiah 42:16 NIV

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known,

    along unfamiliar paths I will guide them;

I will turn the darkness into light before them

    and make the rough places smooth.

These are the things I will do;

    I will not forsake them.

I encourage you to spend less time on daily travel details and more time letting God take the lead this week.

Blessings,

Michelle

 

30 Days – CMS and Hospitals Share Risk – Input Desired

Posted on by Michelle Fritsch, Pharm.D.
Slide1
Technology is being developed to help you stay healthy and out of the hospital 30 days.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) are striving to keep healthcare affordable. Healthcare is expensive. Healthcare is necessary. We all need it at some time or another. It is best if medical conditions that require hospitalization are fully treated while in the hospital. CMS wants to pay for these conditions just once. So, to help make sure they are fully treated and that patients are sent home with all they need to stay healthy, there is now a shared risk payment model. If someone returns to the hospital within 30 days of discharge, then CMS will not pay for that second visit. (Of course it is all more complex than this paragraph describes).

So, there are a number of very smart people working hard to increase the success of people going home from the hospital to help them not return. At least making sure people don’t return for the same problem within 30 days.

There are people working on tools to help keep medication regimens straight. Others are working on ways to monitor health so if it starts to get worse an adjustment can be made at home. This could prevent a need to go back to the hospital. These tools can monitor blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, oxygenation, and more. There are also tools to monitor in-home activity, measure falls risk, and respond when someone has fallen. Much of the follow up after a hospitalization can occur more frequently and simply with telehealth. This means talking with your doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or other provider over the computer.

There is an explosion of new technology. The issue now is to determine which types of technology are most effective. It is also to determine which types really help people get better. And ideally, the best technology will help people stay better for a long time.

Then there is the issue of how people, the patients, feel about the technology. Some are very excited to have new ways to monitor their own health. Look at the growth and acceptance of wearable devices. Some popular examples are Fitbit, Apple watch, and Garmin Forerunner, and TomTom. Spark.

  • I can find a lot of information about how the technology is proposed to help people safely go home and stay healthy enough to stay out of the hospital.
  • I can find some information demonstrating that these really do cut down on the number of people that bounce back to the hospital.
  • I can find very little data about how people feel about the use of such technology, especially for at least 30 days.

Hospitals are preparing to spend millions of dollars on these solutions. For the money saved by reducing readmission, the hospital and the solutions companies will share those dollars.

  • So what do you think?
  • Are you excited about the use of technology to help you stay healthy?
  • Do you see more advantages or disadvantages?
  • Have you experienced some of these technologies when you or a loved one has been discharged from the hospital?

I would love to hear your thoughts. Please send your questions, your ideas, and your opinions to us at www.medsmash.com/contact.

BIBLICAL APPLICATION

Another thing that I’ve been pondering about 30-day readmission rates is the usefulness of short term solutions. I might have to write about that next week.

I find that topic to be really relevant in my Christian life as well. I love the ‘mountaintop’ experiences. These are the times when you are absolutely on fire for God. They are the times when you are closest to God. They are the times when you most directly feel God’s presence.

At those moments, what do you plan to do? Do you agree with me that it feels like you’ll be able to stay in that intimate place for a long time? How long do those intentions really last?

Have you ever made plans during those times when you felt most intimate with God? Did you make some promises? Did you decide your were going to make big changes in your life? I know I have.

Even now, just two weeks back from a life-changing experience in Jamaica, I’ve fallen back into old habits. I’m putting my needs and desires before other people. I’m way less focused on all that I could be doing for others. I’m more focused on my own aches and pains again. This is not what I intended. It is not what I told myself or God I would do when I got back.

Romans 8:5 ESV

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.

I really, truly want to live according to the Spirit. Yet my progress often feels like two steps forward, one step back.

Do you have the same experiences?

So each day, I strive to stay focused. I try to keep my eyes on God.

Colossians 3:2 ESV

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Every day I fail at some point, or a lot of points. But, I also have more of those moments of intimacy. I feel better in every way when I make that time for God. (And knowing that, I still charge right past that time to get on with the to-do list of the day).

Proverbs 16:3 ESV

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

So today, I will strive again to stay focused on God’s plans. I will strive to keep my ‘spiritual eyes’ on and see the needs of those around me. I will keep working toward the long-term goal rather than a short-term solution.

Blessings,

Michelle

Approach Your Doctor Visit Differently in 2016 – Win-Win

Posted on by Michelle Fritsch, Pharm.D.
Slide1
Prepare for your doctor visit

 

How do you prepare for a doctor visit? Have you ever experienced, or can you picture, the following scenario?

You have a health-related issue and want to see your doctor. You call to make the appointment. You wait and monitor the issue until the day of the appointment. You think about the appointment as you get ready and drive to the office. You think about the visit while in the waiting room. You briefly tell the assistant about the issue while you are being checked in with your weight, blood pressure, etc. You think more about the issue while waiting for your provider to enter the room. Then, your provider comes in and your mind goes blank.

Has this ever happened to you? Even if you remembered most of what you wanted to discuss, did you leave and realize you forgot to mention something important?

Doctor Visit Preparation

This happens all too often! Sometimes people feel rushed. Sometimes they get caught up in conversation with their doctor and don’t realize the time available for the appointment has slipped way. I have had patients bring up important information at the very end of appointments many times. It is so late that we can’t fully address the issue with the time remaining.

So, what can you do to avoid this situation?

Important steps

Here are some important steps to help you get the most from your healthcare visits.

  1. From the time the issue arises until your appointment, write down important details your doctor will want to know.
    1. When did it start?
    2. How did it start?
    3. What makes it worse?
    4. What makes it better?
    5. Use good descriptive words to describe your symptoms.
    6. How often does it occur?
    7. Have you had something like this happen before?
    8. What has changed that might be related to this issue?
    9. Keep a journal of how the issue impacts you daily.
    10. What outcome are you hoping to have from your visit?
  2. Prioritize the issues you want to discuss at the appointment.
  3. Limit your list to the top 3. You can bring others to mention if there is time, but most visits have time for only 1 major or up to 3 more minor issues.
  4. Bring two copies of your list to your appointment.
  5. Give the list to the assistant who checks you in. He/she can then give it to your provider to review before coming in to the room with you. This will save a lot of time in the first part of your appointment.
  6. When your provider comes in the room, you will each have a copy. This will take the pressure off of you to remember the details. It will also help guide your provider to quickly understand the issue(s) you want to talk about.
  7. You can now have a more relaxed conversation with your provider in the time that is available for your visit.

Your provider will truly appreciate this approach. Keep in mind, for some symptoms your provider only knows what you tell him/her. So, the more thorough you can be, the better your provider can make the correct diagnosis.

Consider your healthcare to be a partnership rather than a one-way interaction. You and your providers will feel better about your relationship.

For more information about preparing for doctor visits, contact us at www.medsmash.com.

BIBLICAL APPLICATION

Just as there are more successful ways to approach medical visits, there are some best practices for communicating with God.

Jeremiah 29:12-13 ESV

Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

In all parts of the Bible there are tips, insights, and instructions for maintaining our awareness and dependence on our Lord and Savior to walk with us through any circumstance.

Mark 11:24 ESV

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

James 5:16 ESV

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

John 15:7 ESV

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

1 John 5:14-15 ESV

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

God is there with you, loving you, holding you at all times. He never leaves to take a break. He never gets distracted.

If you are feeling alone and not aware of His presence, you have your ‘shields’ up. Take them down. Go to Him in prayer and take down those defenses that are making you feel separated. God will love being able to communicate with you again. You will love that flood of security, grace, and unconditional love.

Blessings,

Michelle

P.S. Have you noticed that all of our instruction in prayer puts praise first? Then, bring your requests, hurts, and desires to God.