Saturday, September 22, 2012

positive relinquishment...Thy will be done

2,000 year old olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, Israel
2,000 year old olive tree in Jerusalem
2,000 year old olive tree in Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem

Thy will be done—Matthew 6:10
Not my will, but Thine, be done—Luke 22:42

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.—Psalm 23:1

When I pray, I picture Jesus, my Shepherd, in the green pasture of the 23
rd Psalm…I take whatever concern I have, or person for whom I am interceding by the hand…I walk out to the meadow, the green pasture, and I place my concern, or the hand of the person for whom I am interceding, in Jesus’ hand…knowing that He is sovereign, He loves me, and He loves the person for whom I am interceding more than I do…He has a plan, a hope, and a future for each of us…and I walk away, thanking God for how He is working in my life and in the lives of those for whom I am interceding...experiencing a feeling of peace…positive relinquishment…as Catherine Marshall prayed, “Lord, I trust You…You know what You’re doing…I relinquish my will to Yours.”

In what ways might you apply this to your life?

10 comments:

  1. Beth, for some reason, the phrase: "I walk out to the meadow" really sticks with me.

    Prayer is walking out to the meadow. What a great visual--especially for someone like me who loves the outdoors.

    Blessings,
    Daphne

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    1. Thank you, Daphne...it is a very calming, peaceful way to pray...I would pray in this way with my Mom before her homegoing...and when I have shared this with other family members and friends, they have indicated that the Lord really used it in their prayer life also...that's why I felt led to share it here :)

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    2. I think I might use that as well. There's just such a calming sense of relief when I visualized the meadow.

      Thank you for following God's leading.

      Blessings,
      Daphne

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    3. What a joy and an encouragement it is to us when we feel that the Lord has used something He has taught us to bless someone else...thank you :)

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  2. Meadows reminds me of one time in my life when I was hurting awful from what someone had done to me. I wanted to get away from all of it. I was driving past a field with cows out in it. I had the wildest urge to stop and walk out in the middle of it, sit down in the grass, and stay with the cows meandering around me. It spoke of peace to me. I almost couldn't push away the crazy urge.

    When I shared my thoughts with a cousin, he reminded me of what I might sit on. Ha. But I didn't care. To this day, everytime I pass that field the urge still tugs.........not with the desperate pull that it did back then, but the calmness still beckons.

    Hmmm, I think I see a "story" blog for me to write ... forming on the horizon of my mind! Ha. Thanks, Beth. You are an inspiration!

    Karen

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    1. Karen, thank you so much for sharing your "meadows" imagery with me :) I think there may be a "story" blog for you to write about that...love your creativity!

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  3. Choleric me tends to forge ahead and say, "MY will be done." I am learning, though, to make prayer a first response, rather than a last resort. Prayerwalking has taught me that.

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    1. Thank you for your comment, Janet. I LOVE your writing on Prayerwalking...in fact, when I am walking throughout the day, I do pray-as-I-walk the prayer from this blog post..."Lord, thank You for how You are working in..." Such comfort from knowing our Shepherd is always at work taking care of us :)

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  4. Thanks Beth- relinquishing Amy and Kieran into God's tender loving care right now and thanking Him that this couple belong to Him. He will continue to work in their lives as He has mine, I know.
    God bless you Beth.
    A wee something winging it's way to you- let me know when it arrives.

    Love,
    Mary

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    1. Mary, you are such a dear, sweet reflection of Jesus, responding is a joy and a privilege...looking forward to your kind gift...praying with you for Amy and Kieran :)

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