Hannah Whitall Smith lived at the end of the nineteenth century (1832-1911), and her writings still bless Christians today.
This passage from a daily devotional called God is Enough (August 29) was taken from her dairies dating back to 1859, one year after her conversion. Her sensed of consecration is an inspiration to any Christian no matter where he or she may be on the path of faith.
Lord, I am Yours. Yours wholly and Yours forever! I am Yours by the purchase of Your blood, and I give myself to You now as a living sacrifice – body, soul, and spirit – to be as clay in Your hands.
I give You my heart, Lord, to love only what You love, to hate what You hate [that is any excellent definition of the fear of God], to endure all things, to suffer long and be kind, to be not easily provoked. To think no evil, not to seek my own, help me, oh my God!
I give You my mind to be wholly devoted to Your service and perfectly under Your control, to think only those thoughts that will please You, to devise only such plans as You suggest, to yield the management of all its affairs to You. To bring every thought to the obedience of Christ, help me, oh my God!
I give You my body to be used by You – my eyes to see only what You would have them see, my ears to hear only what You would have them hear, my feet to go only where You lead, my hands to do such work only as can be done in fellowship with You, my tongue to speak only words that please You, Lord, to be all Yours. Help me, oh my God!
I give you my children, my husband, and all whom I love, to be disposed of according to your will. I leave to your the ordering of my whole life, and with Your help will follow You wherever You lead. I will give You the control of my feelings and of my prejudices. I submit in short my whole being and life – all that I am, and have, and will be, to Your control; and ask only that Your will may be perfectly done in me, through me, and by me! Take me and keep me, oh my God!
So easy to read and write – so difficult to do day after day – only by His grace! She now sits at Jesus’ feet. Her race is complete! I am certain that if she lived by this prayer, she has already heard those words we all desire to hear: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
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Beyond Common Sense 