Stories of Hope

Saturday 3:57 AM
**A Prayer from the Bedside**
Dr. Santo Steven Bifulco MD CLCP
Father,
I have spent my life in rooms where bodies break and people ask why. I used to think my training was the main thing I carried through the door. It is not. I am a physician. Healing belongs to You.
I did not come to know You as an idea. I came to know You when my own life stopped making sense, when I had to pray because there was nowhere else to put the weight. I came to know You as Father when I felt small. I came to know You as Savior when I could not save myself.
I am grateful now for what I once wanted taken away. The nights that emptied me. The waiting that humbled me. The fire that burned off what I did not need. If You had given me only ease, I would have remained a man with a title and a thin faith.
You are near to the sick and the bedridden. You stay when a person cannot take another step. Your Spirit meets us in the hour we have nothing left to offer.
And You gave Your Son. He hung on a cross. He said, “It is finished.” If the story had ended in comfort instead of Calvary, we would never have seen the depth of Your love.
This wooden cross in a hurting hand is my small way of saying: He is here. He is good. He is enough.
Lord, receive this prayer for everyone who comes to this wall. Meet them. Hold them. Make Yourself known.
In the MIGHTY name of Jesus,
Dr. Santo Steven Bifulco MD CLCP

Reminds me of the song by Brandon Lake. “How good God is”.

I don’t need to pretend that I never felt the pain
I don’t need to hide the scars underneath my name
Everyone became a lesson I could carry
Every stone taught my tired heart how to stay steady
I learned that healing isn’t always loud
Sometimes it’s getting up when nobody’s around
Sometimes it’s forgiving the person in the mirror
Sometimes it’s saying I’m still here when the end feels nearer

I lost some people I thought would never leave
Held on the memories I was too afraid to grieve
I blamed myself for things I couldn’t change
Carried every failure like a permanent name
There were nights I questioned my reason for being
Couldn’t see tomorrow, couldn’t trust what I was feeling
The morning came softly through the window of my room, reminding me that even broken flowers bloom
So, I took another breath, put my feet back on the floor
I don’t know what tomorrow brings, but I know I’m worth fighting for

One day I’ll be okay
One day these tears will fade away
I look back at the road I walked and thank myself for staying strong
Maybe I’m not here today
Baby, I still hurt along the way
But I won’t let this pain define the rest of this life of mine
I may bend, but I won’t break
One day I’ll be okay

I woke up this morning with a weight on my chest
Another night wondering if I ever get some rest
The room was quiet, but my memories were loud
Every word I never said still follows me around
I used to think the hurt would stay forever
Like broken pieces could never come together
I smiled for the world while I was falling apart
Trying to hide a war that was raging in my heart
But somewhere underneath these scars, there’s still a little light
Even when I lose my way, something tells me I’ll be all right

THE POWER OF PRAYER
I was going along in life as though nothing could ever go wrong. When out of nowhere I fell down and next thing you know I found out I had a large tumor and ended up having surgery. When I woke up no one would tell me anything but I know I had a large scar on my stomach. My husband came and told me I had an ovarian cancer.. I was so scared because I didn’t know if I was going to die. Two days later, my son called everyone he knew and told them they needed to come to the hospital for a prayer service for his mom That Sunday afternoon, my room filled with family and friends just as we were about to pray my sister called from the Ukraine. She is a missionary. My husband told her she could join in on our prayer. I held the Cross in my hand and it was amazing when the prayer was over I knew Jesus had healed me. It has been 15 years since that day and I have been cancer free. We thank God every day for healing me.

This is part one of many parts I want you to know I just typed this a moment ago and then it suddenly disappeared. That’s why I’m typing again. I don’t know what that’s about…. I can go on for days telling you what reaching for the cross and reach for the cross has done for me but let me start with the most RECENT prayer that’s been answered a prayer that goes back to November 11, 1994. That’s when I began praying this prayer and it was just answered and I mean JUST last week. The origin of this prayer began the day. My son DSB was born on November 11, 1994, a major sprouting of that seed occurred on December 12, 1999 while attending a concert or so I thought at countryside Christian in Clearwater Florida. I thought I was there to see a concert by a group called third day the lead singer Mack Powell sometime between songs as the audience to come up on stage if you didn’t have a personal relationship with JC it was as if they hate large fishing, gaff was large into my sternum, and I was pulled onto stage with my three children in toe my youngest Son, DSB, Dominic Santo age 5, my daughter Angelina Carmela, age 9, my oldest son Santo Philip age 11 we all received the same prayer. It was answered last week, August 2026 when DSB asked to my beautiful bride and I (his mother) and my partner of over 42 years, if we would like to attend service Sunday service at Countryside Christian with him, DSB and his friend, girl friend Marilyn. Of course I said …YES! I am here to tell you, Gd IS who HE says HE is! HE does what HE says HE will DO! So reach for THE CROSS, His Cross, the one HE died on and was resurrected from. It is a symbol of incomprehensible pain and incomprehensible joy and healing and forgiveness. I don’t understand it but i receive it! <

This is simply part 1 of a million part story. Every since i lifted my eyes upon the Lord, my life has never been the same. I became a “believing believer” on 12/12/1999. Before that, I “believed” in God but I did not know God, although God knew me! I did not believe that everything in the BIBLE (ie B.i.B.L.E = Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth) was true let alone true for ME. Once I became a “believing believer”, I KNEW that every word in the Bible was in is true, and was true for me. I will share more, much much more in the coming days, weeks, months, and years… if the GOOD LORD ALLOWS. But for now, for this moment I want to say something else….

I am lifting up to THE LORD my dear friend, my dearest friend Steve P. His beautiful bride Donna P and his amazing courageous family including Stephen, Marc, Christopher and Michelle, and their beautiful families including their precious children. Let us be reminded of THE CROSS and our authority.
Let me remind you of the ground you stand on.
The reason you have authority is not your strength—
it is THE CROSS!
The Scripture says that JESUS, having disarmed principalities and powers, made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. HE already disarmed them. HE already triumphed.
So you are not fighting for victory tonight. Steve and his family is not fighting for victory. It is ALREADY DONE!
You are enforcing a victory that was already won over 2,000 years ago.
The enemy is not an equal opponent; he is a defeated one. A watchman’s job is simply to stand on the finished work of CHRIST and refuse to let a defeated enemy act as though he still has rights he lost AT THE CROSS.
So let us pray, and let us pray with the authority that belongs to a child of GOD.
HEAVENLY FATHER, in the mighty name of JESUS, I come to this part of the watch standing on the finished work of THE CROSS.I thank you that JESUS already disarmed principalities and powers, and already triumphed over them openly. So I do not come tonight to win a battle; I come to enforce a victory that is already won, and take up the weapons that are not carnal, but mighty through GOD to the pulling down of strongholds over my household and Steve and Donna’s household. Will you stand and pray with me?

this ministy has truly been a blessing in my life seeing how god works through something as simple as a small wooden cross has strengthened my faith and reminded me that even the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference i am so thankful for this ministry and for everyone who helps share gods love and hope with others my prayer is that everyone who receives one of these crosses feels gods peace encouragement and love in their life god bless

For many years I’ve had the privilege of personally presenting “Reach for the Cross” wooden crosses to individuals facing some of life’s most difficult moments – patients in hospitals, those confined to there homes, and people battling serious illnesses. Each handcrafted cross with carefully selected bible verses that remind the recipients of God’s love, hope, and promises. One of the greatest blessings has been seeing the expressions on people’s faces as they receive a cross. For many it serves as a powerful reminder that they are not alone and that Jesus is with them in the midst of their struggles. I’ve had the honor of praying with many of these individuals, and while every situation is different, I have personally witnessed lives transformed through renewed hope, strengthened faith, and in some cases remarkable recoveries that families attribute to Gods healing power. Whether the healing comes physically, emotionally, or spiritually, each Cross points beyond itself to the One who offers lasting peace, comfort, and hope—Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It has been one of the greatest privileges of my life to be part of this ministry and to witness Gods love at work in the lives of so many people.