Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Daily Prayer by Elisabeth Elliot & Wednesday's Prayer Girls & Link-Up Party!


I want to give you a wonderful prayer that I learned from Elisabeth Elliot. I love to pray it in the mornings with the upcoming day before me. You're going to see why I love it so much. You may want to write it out on a 3 x 5 card and keep it with your Bible to make it easy to pray it into your life.

Loving Lord and Heavenly Father I offer up today all that I am, all that I have, all that I do, and all that I suffer, to be Yours today and Yours forever.  Give me grace, Lord, to do all that I know of Your holy will.  Purify my heart, sanctify my thinking, correct my desires.  Teach me, in all of today’s work and trouble and joy, to respond with honest praise, simple trust, and instant obedience, that my life may be in truth a living sacrifice, by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the name of Your Son Jesus Christ, my Master and my all. Amen


Dear Elisabeth when she came to visit in our home in March, 2013.
I've been blessed to have her as mentor since the early 90s in what began as a writing correspondence.
{Note: Pictures in my blog of Elisabeth Elliot may not be used without owner's permission.
Must contact Juana for permission.}
I keep it in a little acrylic easel on my desk, so I can say it to the Lord in the mornings— sometimes by itself—and sometimes just before I begin my Bible reading and quiet time. I remember exactly where I was sitting when I opened the mail with her handwritten address to me on the front. We had just returned from being out of town, and my little children were all around me in the sun room. As I read the prayer, tears streamed down my cheeks.

Those tears fell not only because the prayer was so beautiful and that I knew I would make it my own, but because I had chills at the power of a mentor in my life. I've never forgotten the surge of encouragement that literally ran through my body. Now it's my turn to be that encourager for others. Maybe that person is you.

I truly believe the Lord passed the baton to me to be willing to put myself "out there" so-to-speak to be willing to share what God has taught me, and continues to teach me daily.

Elisabeth Elliot is now eighty-six! She, her husband, and her caregiver were on the way to our home over a year ago to spend a couple days as they were in route to Texas to take Elisabeth's caregiver home. I had supper totally ready, the table set, fresh linens on their bed, and flowers on their nightstand—but it was not to be. 

Right at the time they were due to walk in, I received a phone call. They had been in a terrible accident four hours away from my house, and the car flipped over. Elisabeth turned out okay, as was her caregiver, but her husband had to have neck surgery. I was so sorry that happened to them, and so sorry I was unable to see them.

I was so happy when they were recuperated. They were able to come for a five day visit last March. You can read about that here.

For years when my children were small, I kept the above prayer on the wall in my closet with other important prayers (which didn't keep John from taking a bite out of the top right hand corner of the prayer when he went through a paper eating stage. I guess I needed to feed him a little more!) She later sent me a second one which I have in the acrylic easel, but I actually treasure the first one that I can see John's teeth marks in!

My Alex (19) on left and my John (21) on right. They are at the same university,
which I am thrilled about! John no longer eats paperhe loves Mexican food!
When we moved into a bigger house, I moved my quiet time out of the closet and into a bedroom and other places around the house like the kitchen table!  I actually loved having quiet time in the closet—no one could find me in there!

Elisabeth Elliot once stood in that closet and I asked her if she thought I should take the time line down that I had in there for my kid's history lessons. I told her it was so "pretty" I hated to take down the timeline, but needed to. I'll never forget what she said. "It's not that pretty. Why do you have it in here?"

I loved her no-nonsense directness that those who love her came to expect! I took it down—it had served it's purpose for several years! It had Jesus' resurrection with the symbol of a cross in the very center—with everything before or after it.

Make sure you have a place set aside to meet God regularly in prayer and Bible reading! It will make all the difference in your day, and in your life!


"The Lord bless you and keep you; 
the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you." 
-Numbers 6:24-25


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Now it's time for 
Wednesday's Prayer Girls & Link-Up Party!
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Each Wednesday I like to offer to pray for your non-confidential prayer request or praise in the comment section below. Please enter a prayer if you would like me to pray for you (and pray for one another!) and I will reply to your prayer there.

If you're a Christian blogger, we all would love to see what you've been writing! Enter your blog link below to join the party!

Walk by Faith,

15 comments:

  1. I praise you, Lord, for Christian sisters in the Lord. I also praise you for godly women, like Elisabeth Elliot, who have influenced me to seek Christ in all I do. We thank you for her life! May we all seek to be spiritual mothers to someone younger than us!

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  2. Thanks for hosting the linky party. And thanks for sharing Elisabeth Elliot's prayer. I think I will make it my own too. May you be given much opportunity to share what God has deposited in you and taught you.

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    1. Hi Su! I hope you and all your ducklings are doing great! So glad to pass on her prayer. I love to give away gems that have been given to me, Love Juana

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  3. Thank you for sharing her beautiful prayer! Printing it out!

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  4. Thank You for sharing with all of us your story of Elisabeth Elliot and her Godly influence in your life. I believe that if we all stop and think we can find someone (maybe more than one) who has been a Godly influence in our own life. I know there are several in mine. I pray that over the years I have been and continue to be a Godly influence in the life of others that God allows me to come into contact with. I can honestly say that my influence has begun in my home first...with my family and children. Now, that our daughters are grown, married and with children of their own...the influence will continue. I've always said, "How can one be a Godly influence if it has not been demonstrated in the home first." May God continue to bless you personally and your wonderful ministry Juana! You are a blessing to many of us!

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    1. How true, Sheila! What a godly heritage you & your husband have given to your daughters. Thank you for being so faithful to post here on Wednesdays, Sheila. You are such a godly influence here, Sister!

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  5. What a blessed prayer. I love music and I wish I knew how to compose it to this prayer. My Lord knows the blessed devotion that are in these words. Thanks so much for sharing such an encouraging prayer I can sing in adoration to my wonderful Saviour. :)

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    1. What a wonderful thought, Ann! To sing it to the Lord:-) I also wanted to thank you for following me on Google Plus. I plan to follow back on Google Plus, when I can head over and study how to do that. So glad you joined in here, Ann.

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  6. Love the prayer, am going to write it on a card too. Great idea! Continued prayers for Wayne, and for me as we enter the busy, busy upcoming CHRISTmas season. That I would be able to stay organized, keep my sanity, and do well with my jewelry business.

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    1. Hi Jana! I just got back tonight from seeing the movie UNSTOPPABLE with Kirk Cameron, and it addresses suffering and pain in this world. I know you suffer as you watch your friend, Wayne, battle cancer. Loving Lord, We know that your hand of love is behind all You do. We lift up Wayne, and pray for His healing, Lord. We know You can heal Him, Lord. We rejoice that death does not have the final word because of what Christ did on the cross. May you continue to work in Wayne's heart and life while he has breath on earth. I also ask you to help Jana, me, and any other friend reading this to keep Christ the center of Christmas this year. Help us even now make room first for Christ. Help us to calmly do the practical things that need to be done, and we ask you to show favor on Jana's work in her jewelry business by bringing customers to her. Amen.

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  7. What a blessing to know Elisabeth Elliot! And what a beautiful prayer. I also wanted to mention that I watched your testimony you shared awhile back and was truly blessed by it. I cried when you talked about your daughter, so touching and I love how you and your husband honored God and how He has used your daughter for His glory. So beautiful!

    God bless!

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    1. Hi Cathy! Thank you for taking your time to listen to my testimony! That means so much that you gleaned from it. Our daughter is singing this Sunday as the congregation take Communion in our church. I would love your prayers that God will use her voice to speak His voice into everyone's hearts with a unique message from Him for each one. Your faithfulness is such an encouragement to me.

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    2. Dear Lord, be with Mary as she sings for you during communion this Sunday. Bless all those who hear her and bring them closer to You. Amen

      Have a wonderful weekend! : )

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  8. Wow, that is a beautiful prayer and Elisbeth Elliot is just an absolutely amazing women. I love everything I read by hear and JUST finished Let me be a Women (and reading Through Gates of Splendor right now)! What a gift to receive her mentorship and now lovingly pass yours along.

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