Our pastor provided a John Wesley prayer in the bulletin—something we could pray as an action point following Sunday’s message on “Thy Will Be Done.”I tore out the prayer and taped it into my journal:
I am no longer my own, but thine.Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt;Put me to doing, put me to suffering.Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,exalted for thee or brought low by thee.Let me be full, let me be empty.Let me have all things, let me have nothing.I freely and heartily yield all thingsto thy pleasure and disposal.And now, O glorious and blessed God,Father, Son and Holy Spirit,thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.And the covenant which I have made on earth,let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.
I find these words both terrifying and freeing, but I want to own them.So I pray the words, cringing.I pray the words, trusting.I pray the words, believing.I pray the words, nodding, agreeing that this life is His to live however He wishes.I pray the words, clinging to the hope that He will supply me with everything I need to embrace whatever He chooses.In each day, each moment, each word: Thy will be done.
I freely and heartily yield all thingsto thy pleasure and disposal.And now, O glorious and blessed God,Father, Son and Holy Spirit,thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
This post is written in community with friends of Michelle Derusha, who hosts “Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday” at her blog, Graceful.
Last year, our pastor printed out copies for the entire congregation and challenged us to pray this prayer aloud every day for a couple of weeks, picking out the phrase that was the most difficult and praying it twice! It was one of the most difficult, yet freeing things I’ve ever done. It’s still on my bedroom mirror and I’m still praying it, all these months later.
I like your pastor’s suggestion to single out the most difficult phrase(s). I’m probably stuck on one or another for a reason–something I’m afraid to hold out to the Lord, open-handed.
Can you cite instances where you see evidence of that prayer working out in your everyday life?
Yep, that’s a pretty daring prayer. I confess that I’m not up to it every day.
Did you see Carrie’s comment above? Her pastor challenged the congregation to pray it every day for a couple of weeks. I can’t remember, actually, what our assignment was, if any. I was sucked into the prayer when the pastor pointed it out to us and missed whatever he instructed, if it was that specific.
Yes. YES and Amen. A scary prayer indeed, but in total surrender there is great peace…
So good to have your voice here, responding with such energy and with such important reminders!
It is a beautiful prayer Ann – and all those things you’ve said. I sometimes stop midway in singing a song – the words piercing my heart and wondering if I can truly live them out. By His grace…
What a powerful prayer! Thank you for sharing it!
Lately I’ve been reminding myself that God is either God all the way, in all circumstances, etc or He’s not God at all … the obvious conclusion – He is God all the way! Worthy of all praise and trustworthy to surrender to!
Dear Ann!
I realized just yesterday I was not subscribed to your blog…and I was missing you! So I went and found the subscribe button…and now, NOW, I know why.
This post is the first I received in my email and that prayer…Oh!
Last year, early in the year, I began to pray that God remove anything within me that was not bearing fruit. I desperately had decided on divine health. By June 2…a year ago, I was on a gurney being told I was suffering congestive heart failure…the God spoke (Ezekiel 36:26)…stop me if I’ve told the story…LOL…on all of my blogs!
Anyhow, back to today…I find this nestled in my e-mail and excited I see this very daunting prayer, not unlike the scripture prayer I prayed last year…and I am captivated…compelled.
I think I am going to do what Carrie’s pastor suggested…
Thank you Ann, thank you. I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating, thank you for your obedience to God…I really, really believe he draws me to you for learning!
Blessings
Andrea
So glad to hear from you, Andrea–and I think I need to update my “subscribe” button. I think it still has my wordpress.com address associated with it. I may go in and change that–I’ll be sure to let you know if I do.
Most of all, I’m glad to be part of your interaction, and that God could use this prayer from long ago in your life today.
Oh, Ann – I love this prayer! But I didn’t always. There is another one, very similar, called “The Prayer of Abandonment,” by Charles de Foucauld – here it is:
“Father,
I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures.
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you
with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord,
and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands,
without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
for you are my Father.”
When I first began in spiritual direction, over 20 years ago now – I was given this prayer to pray – and found I could not do it. It literally terrified me. It triggered every abandonment issue I’ve ever had and sent me to therapy, actually.
And now I find it, and Wesley’s similar prayer so very rich, and ultimately so freeing. But it’s tough to start – at least it was for me. And your friend’s pastor’s idea to pray it aloud, phrase by phrase, noticing where you ‘stick’ is a great one. Thanks for printing it out here – and for so beautifully describing the very mixed emotions it evokes. Just lovely.
Thanks for sharing your story and this related–and beautiful–prayer. I appreciate reading everyone’s reactions, some similar, some intense, some wholeheartedly embracing it. The Lord is so patient with us, drawing us closer…
Reminds me of line from the Hymn, “Mold me and Make me after thy will, while I am waiting, yielded and still.” Let Go and Let God!
Oh, I love that song! Thanks for sharing it today, Hazel!
Perfect love casts out fear….I need to focus on the perfect love part to have the trust, the courage, to pray this and mean it.
Thanks for the encouragement. Today is feeling fearful.
Yes, yes. Good reminder of His perfect love–I can fall back into that with trust…and, as you say, courage.
I hope God gives you strength today. And peace.
I love that you admit you prayed it cringing. Because I have to say, I cringed once or twice at a couple of the declarations. I really like Carrie’s comment up above — I think that would be a very good exercise for me. I’m going to print this post and start praying this today.
[and thanks for linking up Ann!]