Wonderful Prayer...

I saw this prayer on Suzie's blog, and I love it! It's long--but does that honestly surprise anyone? My posts are ALWAYS long. :)

My earnest challenge and prayer for you is . . .

(written by John Piper andWayne Grudem)

Women:

That all of your life-in whatever calling-be devoted to the glory of
God.

That the promises of Christ be trusted so fully that peace
and joy and strength fill your soul to overflowing.

That this fullness of God overflow in daily acts of love
so that peoplemight see your good deeds
and give glory to your Father in Heaven.

That you be women of the Book,
who love and study and obey the Bible in every area of its teaching;
that meditation on Biblical truth be the source of hope and faith;
that you continue to grow in understanding
through all the chapters of your life,
never thinking that study and growth are only for others.

That you be women of prayer,
so that the Word of God will be opened to you,
and so the power of faith and holiness will descend upon you;
that your spiritual influence may increase at home
and at church and in the world.

That you be women who have a deep grasp
of the sovereign grace of Godwhich undergirds
all these spiritual processes;
and that you be deep thinkers about the doctrines of grace,
and even deeper lovers of thesethings.

That you be totally committed to ministry,
whatever your specific calling;
that you not fritter away your time on soaps
or women's magazines or unimportant hobbies or shopping;
that you redeem the time for Christ and his Kingdom.

That, if you are single, you exploit your singleness
to the full indevotion to God
(the way Jesus and Paul and Mary Slessor and AmyCarmichael did)
and not be paralyzed by the desire to be married.

That,if you are married, you creatively and intelligently
and sincerely support the leadership of your husband
s deeply as obedience to Christ will allow;
that you encourage him in his God-appointed role as head;
that you influence him spiritually primarily
through your fearless tranquillity and holiness and prayer.

That, if you have children,
you accept responsibility with your husband(or alone if necessary)
to raise up children in the discipline and instruction of the
Lord-children who hope in the triumph of God-
sharing with your husband the teaching
and discipline they need, and giving them
the special attachment they crave from you,
as well as that special nurturing touch and care
that you alone are fitted to give.

That you not assume that secular employment
is a greater challenge or a better use of your life
than the countless opportunities of service and
witness in the home, the neighborhood,
the community, the church, and theworld;
that you not only pose the question: career or full-time homemaker?,
but that you ask just as seriously: full-time career orfreedom for
ministry?

That you ask: Which would be greater for theKingdom
-to work for someone who tells you what to do
to make his or herbusiness prosper,
or to be God's free agent dreaming your own dream
about how your time and your home and
your creativity could make God's business prosper?
And that in all this you make your choices
not on the basis of secular trends or upward lifestyle expectations,
but on the basis of whatwill strengthen the faith of the family
and advance the cause of Christ.

That you step back and (with your husband, if you are married)
plan the various forms of your life's ministry in chapters.
Chapters are divided by various things-
age, strength, singleness, marriage, employment,
children at home, children in college, grandchildren,
retirement, etc. No chapter has all the joys.
Finite life is a series of tradeoffs.
Finding God'swill, and living for the glory of Christ
to the full in every chapter iswhat makes it a success,
not whether it reads like somebody else's chapter
or whether it has in it what only another chapter will
bring.

That you develop a wartime mentality and lifestyle;
that you never forgetthat life is short,
that billions of people hang in the balance
of heaven and hell every day,
that the love of money is spiritual suicide,
that the goals of upward mobility
(nicer clothes, cars, houses, vacations, food,hobbies)
are a poor and dangerous substitute
for the goals of living forChrist with all your might
and maximizing your joy in ministry to people'sneeds.

That in all your relationships with men (not just in marriage)
you seekthe guidance of the Holy Spirit
in applying the Biblical vision of manhood and womanhood;
that you develop a style and demeanor that does justice
to the unique role God has given to man to feel responsible
for gracious leadership in relation to women-
a leadership which involves elements of protection and provision
and a pattern of initiative;
that you think creatively and with cultural sensitivity
(just as he must do) in shaping the style
and setting the tone of your interaction with men.

That you see the Biblical guidelines for what is appropriate
and inappropriate for men and women
not as arbitrary constraints on freedom,
but as wise and gracious prescriptions
for how to discover the truefreedom of God's ideal of complementarity;
that you not measure your potential by the few roles withheld,
but by the countless roles offered;
that you look to the loving God of Scripture
and dream about the possibilities of your service to Him.