My mother was a woman of prayer. My mother was a prayer warrior. As a matter of fact, I have in my possession at least 10 of her prayer journals, one called Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy, the Journal of Gratitude that accompanies that book, and another one called The Artist’s Way Morning Pages Journal and the companion, plus her small copy of Prayers That Avail Much by Germaine Copeland as well as the 25th Commemorative Edition she bought me and inscribed for me. Now, of course, she bought me my own copies of these books over the years, but now I have her copies as well.
I will forever cherish all of these as treasures that kept mom close to God . . . at His heart.
While she knew how to pray (because, of course, the Word teaches us in Luke 11:1-13 how to do it because even the disciples wanted to know when they observed Jesus praying), mom desired to know other methods by which to get to know Him better through prayer. She felt that she should always be growing in her spiritual walk, that it was a journey that should never end. So she took courses in things like contemplative prayer, soaking and intercessory prayer. She would be trained in these areas and then turn around and mobilize and train leaders around her to teach and train others. I honestly don’t believe there was ever a woman of her stature, level of knowledge and training that was so generous and liberal in her giving of that knowledge. Some folks horde information (about like Ron and I joke around sometimes about people who think they just might be helping you!) and refuse to share because they want to be the “keeper of all knowledge,” and to appear erudite and smug, snubbing their noses at those who don’t know what they know, etc. Not momma. Nope. She shared it all, and because of her unique positioning in organizations as a leader, she would find out about specialized trainings and opportunities that weren’t open for the public to know. She would go, find out how to send others, and she sent them. Momma traveled all over the country to receive this learning, and daddy was often right there with her. I even had the privilege of accompanying her on many occasions when dad couldn’t go or when the event was for women only. Wouldn’t trade those precious moments for anything!
Her issue with me, though, as I feel has crept right back into my life at this particular juncture, is that my life was too encumbered with “doing” so much that I would miss the “good part” that Jesus told Martha to beware of. Doing good things at the expense of taking the time to develop and sustain a relationship with Jesus was indeed missing the “best thing” (as some translations put it), which is what Mary was commended for as “it would never be taken from her” (Luke 10: 41-42). So mom was intentional about making sure that she made time to sit at His feet; she iterated that necessity to me over and over again and she made sure I was put in settings and training opportunities as well to learn better how to approach God and how to grow in intimacy with God.
And what made me think of this today was in my Devotional Literature class. My students were making presentations on Thomas a Kempis’s The Imitation of Christ, and there was a section that pulled on the heart of my student and mine as well. It came from the 9th Chapter in the section of the book called Internal Consolation; the title is “All Things should be Referred to God as their Last End.” This is what it says:
The Voice of Christ
“MY CHILD, I must be your supreme and last end, if you truly desire to be blessed. With this intention your affections, which are too often perversely inclined to self and to creatures, will be purified. For if you seek yourself in anything, you immediately fall interiorly and become dry of heart.
Refer all things principally to Me, therefore, for it is I Who have given them all. Consider each thing as flowing from the highest good, and therefore to Me, as to their highest source, must all things be brought back.
From Me the small and the great, the poor and the rich draw the water of life as from a living fountain, and they who serve Me willingly and freely shall receive grace upon grace. He who wishes to glory in things apart from Me, however, or to delight in some good as his own, shall not be grounded in true joy or gladdened in his heart, but shall be burdened and distressed in many ways. Hence you ought not to attribute any good to yourself or ascribe virtue to any man, but give all to God without Whom man has nothing.
I have given all things. I will that all be returned to Me again, and I exact most strictly a return of thanks. This is the truth by which vainglory is put to flight.
Where heavenly grace and true charity enter in, there neither envy nor narrowness of heart nor self-love will have place. Divine love conquers all and enlarges the powers of the soul.
If you are truly wise, you will rejoice only in Me, because no one is good except God alone, Who is to be praised above all things and above all to be blessed.”
I began to think about my mother. Then I began to think about my Emmaus Walk where I learned about and was immersed in God’s agape love and that He has been wooing me into a deeper relationship with Him since the beginning of time, which undoubtedly points me back to the fact that He foreknew me, even now, even in the midst of my Martha-induced world. I heard a still small voice speak to me in my classroom that said, “Come, sup with me. Rest in me. Let me carry your burdens, please.” Just that simple.
Again, as I’ve said before, there’s something to what mom was doing and how she equipped her soul to be in a right relationship with God, the Father. She prayed without ceasing, always seeking to show gratitude for God’s grace and His mercy in all the things of her life, including her illness. She sent me a text on Monday, October 5, 2015, that spoke to this. She responded to my inquiry of her about her health because she had just attended Ron’s appreciation service at the church the evening before and she looked frail to me. The preacher for the occasion talked about his own plaguing illness, and about “suffering for Christ” but that it was a privilege to do so (from Philippians 1:29), and the message touched her deeply. She replied, “okay…understanding why I have had to go through so much suffering.”
Through the scriptures, I believe that mom would use the method of “soaking prayer” on me right now using the Word to slow me down and to reassure my soul. I am going to share with you what I’ve been led to seek concerning even you, my friends, to console your hearts and to reassure you, as well, in whatever situations you may be going through by soaking you in scripture:
“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God and if children, then heirs — heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” Romans 8:16-17
“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
“He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
“… we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead… in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf….” 2 Corinthians 1:8-11
“…we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed… perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed — always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-10
“But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.“ Acts 20:24
“For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” Philippians 1:29
“…count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2-4
“….according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:20-21
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?… If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall fall on me,’ even the night shall be light about me; Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You.” Psalm 139:6, 11-12
“For You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord shall enlighten my darkness…. As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” 2 Samuel 22:29, 31
“…what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death….” Philippians 3:7-10
“‘He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.’ “…many of His disciples, when they heard this, said, ‘This is a hard saying; who can understand it?’ “When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples complained about this, He said to them, ‘Does this offend you? What then if you should see the Son of Man ascend where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life. But there are some of you who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who would betray Him. And He said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father.” “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. “Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ “But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” John 6:56-69
In love and charity,
Giselle