Since Elisabeth had just left after visiting for several days, I was able to share in a fresh way what was on my heart. We laughed and cried last weekend together as we sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit! I loved these women. They trusted God to use me to speak to their hearts for their women's retreat weekend. No two of us were alike in the room, yet the same Christ lives in each of us. They asked that I post some prayers that I read to them.
I stood a mendicant of God before His royal throne And begged him for one priceless gift, which I could call my own. I took the gift from out His hand, but as I would depart I cried, “But Lord this is a thorn and it has pierced my heart. This is a strange, a hurtful gift, which Thou hast given me.” He said, “My child, I give good gifts and gave My best to thee.” I took it home and though at first the cruel thorn hurt sore, As long years passed I learned at last to love it more and more. I learned He never gives a thorn without this added grace, He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides His face.
These prayers are unheard of in our society. Let's get on our knees and pray the earnestly before God, and we can be radically different wives! Thank you to all the single women that were there who gleaned spiritual truths. May all of us remember, it's "our part to trust, and God's part to work," and to "receive everything in your life as directly from God's hand." Amen, dear Sister?
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| Rachel (L) and Jennifer (R) from Christ Covenant who invited me. |
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| Georgina from Ghana, and my college friend, Florence! |
Here is a copy of what I promised you!
Two radical wife prayers ("I'll Take Him" prayer & "His Good & Unity prayer") written by Elisabeth Elliot, A Wife's Commitment (prayer, an interpretation from Philippians 2) "The Thorn" prayer and info on the book, "If I Perish." You can cut and paste them or print them on a card where you can read them back to God, or better yet, memorize them!
I’ll Keep Him Prayer “Lord, he’s your man. He’s the one you’ve given to me—his peculiarities and his personality, you gave me. I’ll take it. Help me Lord; show me ways, Lord, to make his life as pleasant and as easy as I can. Now Lord, you work in him the changes You think need to be done. Fulfill your purposes. Help me to remember ‘in acceptance lieth peace.’” (Amy Carmichael)
His Good & Unity Prayer “God help me and forgive me for being much more interested in my own good rather than Terry’s good, and failing to contribute to Terry’s blessing. Lord, how can I respond in such a way as to bind us together in deeper harmony and deeper unity in Jesus Christ? Lord, show me what I can do to make Terry’s life as easy and as pleasant as I can.”
A Wife's Commitment: (an interpretation of Philippians 2, by Judith Lakes)
I, being made in the image of God a believer, a woman and a wife, having equal worth in God’s sight and equal access to the Lord as my husband, I choose not to grasp after a position of equal leadership with my husband, which is not my God-given place, rather I choose by God’s grace to make myself nothing —taking on the very nature of a servant which was the attitude of Jesus.
Desiring with all my heart to be humble like Him,
I choose to be obedient to God’s command and submit to my husband and die to myself. I understand that this decision will cause pain and suffering at times.
But in those moments, may I all the more identify with my Lord.
When the cross is hard to bear, I pray for the will to give Him the burden of my heart and learn to rest in Him.
I trust God and His word and am confident that He will exalt me in hearing of one of his own who obeyed His will.
By his grace I will receive my reward worshiping Him in His presence forever —confessing Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God the Father.
The Thorn Prayer: (by Martha S. Nicholson, a mendicant is a beggar)
I stood a mendicant of God before His royal throne And begged him for one priceless gift, which I could call my own. I took the gift from out His hand, but as I would depart I cried, “But Lord this is a thorn and it has pierced my heart. This is a strange, a hurtful gift, which Thou hast given me.” He said, “My child, I give good gifts and gave My best to thee.” I took it home and though at first the cruel thorn hurt sore, As long years passed I learned at last to love it more and more. I learned He never gives a thorn without this added grace, He takes the thorn to pin aside the veil which hides His face.
Details on "If I Perish" Book:
Autobiography of Esher Ahn Kim
Movie available under same title
Details on Gladys Aylward Book:
Biography entitled "The Small Woman"
Author is Alan Burgess
Hollywood movie (with Ingrid Bergman playing Gladys) is called
"The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" (strays but still worth seeing)
I loved having the opportunity to come and serve you! What a privilege to give out God's word. May we all (speaking to myself, too) remember to trust God and that it is God who does the work, and to receive everything in our lives as straight from God's hand. I love you, Sisters! Several have asked me if the CDs are available of the two talks and they are (Talk one: "Will you trust Me?" Talk two: "Seeing God in Everything: Yourself, Your Marriage, Your Singleness")
I have turned off comments and will turn them on just on Wednesdays for prayer and sharing your blog due to getting so much (ungodly) spam. You can always write me at juanamikels(at)gmail(dot)com.
Walk by Faith,
