As a conference and retreat speaker, my consistent prayer is from 1 Corinthians 2:2-5, For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.  When all is said and done it’s not my words that matter, not my words that change lives, not my words that sanctify.
I don’t want the women to leave with my words swirling around in their heads. I want God’s truth to be swirling around in their heads.  I ask God to use my lips to communicate His message to the hearts of the women.
Recently I was doing a retreat in New Jersey and during one of the small group discussions, about half way through the retreat, the small group leader asked the women to share what they had learned thus far.  There was an awkward pause – and I thought, “Well, I guess they haven’t learned anything yet.”  As the women started to share, I noticed that each woman shared something different, and often not even something I had said.
I pondered that for a moment.
This is a common occurrence.  Isn’t this evidence that God has indeed answered my prayer?  I wanted their faith to rest not in my wisdom, but in His power.  That is exactly what He was doing.  I don’t know how it works but it happens pretty regularly. God takes the words that leave my lips and, by His Spirit, He “translates” them to the listener to communicate what He wants that individual to hear.
My heart is full of praise and thankfulness that God, once again, showed Himself faithful.  He answered my prayer offered in faith and I am amazed and blessed again.
I am thankful that God uses ordinary vessels to do extraordinary things.  Not because the vessel is extraordinary but because His message, His Spirit, His grace and His power are extraordinary.  Any old vessel will do and I am blessed that He allows this old vessel to be one of them.  But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.  2 Corinthians 4: 7
Blessings, Diane
Diane Hunt serves part-time on the staff of America’s Keswick providing ministry support from her home in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.