Prayer Requests and Updates from 04/15 – 04/26/25
04/26/25 Prayer Request Update – (Ben Faulkner, pastor, Church of the Sovereign God, Tampa, Florida) Bowen Sanabria, who will be one month old on Sunday, (newborn of Michael and Hannah Sanabria), is still in the hospital. After the initial two weeks, the staff was able to remove the various wires, tubes, and monitors. After three weeks, he was able to be held and nursed by Hannah. However, last night the doctors reinserted the feeding tube because milk was going into his lungs. He may need surgery and a gastronomy tube in order to go home. Also, he is dealing with apnea and aspiration issues while sleeping with the possibility of subclinical seizures. Thank you very much for your continued prayers.
04/23/25 Prayer Request Update – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) Praise report! Today was a great day for me! June 11th of 2024 I had an e bike accident due to a truck running a stop sign. Subsequent knee surgery, and then shoulder reconstruction surgery in November of the same year. Now, a little over 10 months later (5 1/2 months from surgery of shoulder) I was released from PT with about a year left of healing until full normal use. So….today I got back on my e bike and biked to the exercise center, worked on the bicep I’m finally getting back on that right arm, and biked home! Yeah! I so appreciate all your prayers during this journey! Arms up!
04/15/25 Prayer Request Update – (Ben Faulkner, pastor, Church of the Sovereign God, Tampa, Florida) Early Monday morning, 04.14.25. Rhonda Diggins, member CGG, woke up with severe chest pain. Her husband, Steve, anointed her and took her to the ER. On the way to the hospital, God intervened on Rhonda’s behalf and reduced the heaviness in her chest. The doctors ran a series of tests, checking for indications of a heart attack, but everything looked normal. However, the doctors gave her nitroglycerin and it reduced the pain, so the doctor was still concerned about her heart. They decided to keep her for observation and schedule her for a stress test. They were not able to get her on the schedule for the stress test on Monday, so she had to spend the night in the ER. Early Tuesday morning, she had another episode of severe chest pain. She received nitroglycerin again and again it reduced the pain. So, the doctors checked her troponin enzyme level again and found it was a little above normal, which indicates a heart attack or some other heart condition. After 34 hours in the ER, she was moved to a hospital room. She is now scheduled for the stress test on Wednesday morning. Rhonda and Steve both thank everyone for their continued prayers for Rhonda’s healing and a total recovery.
Ongoing Previous Requests
04/07/25 Prayer Request – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) The family of Nathan (Nate) Berg of Keller, Texas, would like to request prayers for Nate. He is having 2 upcoming surgeries on his right foot (Charcot foot condition). The first surgery will take place on Friday, April 4, and the second surgery will take place in early May. Please also pray that a quality skilled care facility can be located for Nate — he will be staying at this facility after each of the surgeries, for 3-4 weeks each time. – Cherine Berg
04/07/25 Prayer Request Update – (Ben Faulkner, pastor, Church of the Sovereign God, Tampa, Florida) Your urgent prayers are requested for David Schemenauer, a member of the Elkhart, Indiana United Church of God congregation who had a very bad accident while skiing with his family in Colorado on Friday. He suffered a broken arm, damaged lung, and a spinal cord injury to his T6 vertebrae. He currently does not have any feeling below his waist. Doctors need to do emergency surgery within 24 hours to have the best chance of repairing the damage to his spine. Please pray for God’s immediate intervention, healing, and comfort. Thank you. Update: On Saturday night, the surgeons made two fusions in his vertebrae. One was by his neck and the other was in his thoracic spine. The surgeon is feeling optimistic he will regain movement in his arms and hands but not his legs. As of Sunday morning, he had feeling in his chest, arms and hands, but nothing below the chest. He will be in the ICU for the next week. He is on a ventilator and is breathing well (though his daughter reports “the ventilator is driving him nuts”), but the doctors are taking things slow to help with recovery. He is in good spirits. Please keep David in your prayers, as well as his wife, Crystal, and their daughters, Ally, Paige, and Sierra. Paige writes, “We are so grateful by the community who is keeping David in their prayers. Thank you deeply for your love and support.”
03/10/25 Prayer Request Update – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) I spoke via WhatsApp video connection with Noé Monsanto (CGM Guatemala City, Guatemala). March 10th’s court proceedings were again delayed upon arrival due to a conflict with the courts scheduling, the discussion continues. The legal decision has been extended again to a future date to be announced. He requests continued prayers regarding a very serious situation he is still facing and needs God’s intervention and will to be done. Please continue to join my wife and me in prayer lifting Noé before our Father in heaven that His will be done in this situation with divine intervention as needed.
03/05/25 Prayer Request – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) Nila Das – (Bangladesh). “I am asking for prayers from all for my health. I am almost 7 months pregnant and it has been terrible for my health with multiple issues. Please keep me in your prayers.”
03/05/25 Prayer Request Update– (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) Sherry Garrett (Lynn Haven, FL) From Bill, her husband: “They want Sherry to continue having physical and occupational therapy for her right arm and leg. Her blood pressure is beginning to stabilize. We are walking almost every day. Please continue to pray for complete healing.”
03/05/25 Prayer Request Update – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) I spoke with Patty Graham this afternoon and she asks that we continue to pray for her husband Stan Graham. He continues to decline in health. His recent challenges have in addition to not being able to even get up some days due to lack of physical strength, but suffers from cellulitis on his hands. Please continue to keep Stan and Patty in your prayers for strength and comfort. 09/05/24 Prayer Request Update: I spoke with Patty Graham this afternoon and she asks that we continue to pray for her husband Stan Graham. “Our condition here remains difficult. Several weeks ago Stan fell, and ended up having them go in through the back of his neck to staple, screw, and wire several vertebrae in his neck that were broken. He is just starting to walk again. Stan also has cirrhosis of the liver and is very sick, continuing to decline daily. He basically sleeps, watches a little TV and goes to treatment for 5-6 hours. I truly believe trials are for the testing of our faith and when endured gives the peace and strength needed to endure even harder times. Without them, we would not need to rely on God”. The Grahams live in Pensacola, FL.
01/29/25 Prayer Request Update – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) Fires in the Los Angeles area. To date CGM has been able, thanks to generous donations, to assist and help in a substantial way specifically to those who did not have insurance. Your continued prayers and support are deeply appreciated during this critical time. *Any who would wish to donate for financial assistance to several who have lost their homes (and have no insurance) may do so at this link https://cogministries.org/donate/ . You may also send funds to our P.O. Box, and in the subject line earmark as “Disaster Relief/Church Assistance Fund”.
10/10/24 Prayer Request Update – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) Aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. “In times of distress and disaster we at CGM help many who are suffering by the impact where they live. Many have asked “How can we help through you all?” Since Hurricane Helene we have been sharing resources from our “Disaster Relief and Church Assistance Fund” made possible by generous donations from those affiliated with CGM and others. You may donate here https://cogministries.org/donate/ if you wish to do so, and we assure you the funds will be only used for assistance to those in need affected by this storm and others as they come. Currently we are helping mostly folks in the Morganton, North Carolina area as having served in these areas as their pastor we are aware of specific needs and in contact with people directly. Most commonly we are helping with bottled drinking water, funds for gasoline for mobile generators, and food. Thank you in advance and blessings to you for your care!
05/11/22 Prayer Request – (from Scott Hoefker, pastor, CGM) From Larry Field, (Nebraska). “I would like to ask for continued prayers – it’s my back/pelvic area. I was badly injured in 2016 when a machine fell on top of me, breaking my pelvis in 4 places, and severing a bunch of nerves. It also cracked my tailbone and came extremely close to severing my spinal cord. I would/should have been paralyzed, if not for God’s intervention. Lately the pain in my pelvic area has ramped up to extreme levels, and it is very difficult to walk. The strongest non-prescription drug, Tylenol, is no longer effective. My body just is resistant to pain medication, for some reason. I’m not getting much done at all, and I’m falling seriously behind on everything here…please pray that there be some relief, at least for this pain, if it be God’s will”.
(These prayer requests and updates listed are partial, as there are a large number received each week, so we simply cannot list them all. These come from several fellowships of the body of Christ throughout the U.S. and world.) Any prayer requests or announcements to be shared on the CGM website and/or this weekly update should be sent directly to Scott Hoefker by Wednesday of each week, (via e mail if possible). You may also use the “contact us” page on the CGM website to do so.)