In Malawi, women are coming together in Bible study groups asking God for just one thing. They aren’t asking God to change their circumstances. They aren’t asking God to change their husbands. They aren’t asking God to change children or others around them. Their prayer is simple. God change me, change my heart to be like yours.
Such a prayer is powerful. God is answering those prayers and there are incredible stories of how God is using these women to impact their husbands, families, and entire communities. But what about women in America, can God work in our hearts too? He already is!
One women’s Bible study group was recently studying the story of Jonah. In part, the story is about how God can use circumstances to change a person’s heart. In Jonah’s case to help people that he didn’t even know. At the end of the study the group was challenged to open their own hearts by doing something for someone else. They decided to raise money for sewing machines for our Vocational Training Center. They raised enough money for 5 desperately needed machines!
Another women’s Bible study raised more than $12,000 for a new well this past summer. Then this group heard that our new Coordinator for Empowering Women and Girls (a woman) is working to get a drivers license and will soon need a vehicle for transportation. They didn’t hesitate, they went right to work. In just a few weeks they had raised the money for a used vehicle.
In Matthew chapter 7 Jesus talks about examining your own condition first. That principle can be applied to many circumstances in life. Changing the world is a lofty goal, but it begins with change in our own hearts.
