He Chose My Name!
Jemima Klingbeil
This past summer I served as a literature evangelist, going door-to-door selling books with the Youth Rush program in the US state of Michigan. Some days were good and some days were discouraging. One day I was feeling a bit down as I hadn’t sold any books. I was praying that God would help me and do something really special.
It was almost time to end the day, but I went up to another door and began canvassing the young man that came to the door. I was pretty sure he wasn’t going to get any books, but I still went through my canvas routine. Partway through the canvas he stopped me and called for his mom to come to the door. I began the canvas again for her. She seemed really interested, especially in the book Peace above the Storm. She kept emphasizing through the whole conversation how she needed peace. So she gave me $20 dollars for the Peace Above the Storm book and with that amount I was able to give her both Peace Above the Storm and The Great Controversy.
I then asked the woman if I could pray for her. We had a meaningful prayer together and then I prepared to go, thinking that was the end of the story. But something prompted me to ask her, “Would you like a receipt?” She responded that she would so I wrote out the receipt. She then asked me, “What was your name again?” I told her, “My name is Jemima.” Immediately she started crying, and crying hard. I tried to comfort her as I wondered, “What did I do wrong?” Finally, she was able to talk and tell me that her grandmother’s name was also Jemima and she had just recently passed away. Her grandmother had been a Christian and had a big influence on this woman’s life. Now that her grandmother was gone, the woman was looking back at her grandmother’s life and trying to find what Christianity was all about. Just that very morning she had prayed that God would send her someone who had books about “peace” and then I showed up on her doorstep with Peace Above the Storm. Just a coincidence? I don’t think so!
It is amazing to me as I reflect on this beautiful divine appointment that God actually planned this moment 15 years ago when I was born, and my parents named me Jemima. He knew my name would touch this woman’s heart today!
Jemima Klingbeil is going into her sophomore year at Great Lakes Adventist Academy in Michigan.
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World Church Prayer Requests
August 5-12, 2018
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for the many different ministries represented within the Adventist church—both official church organizations and the many vital supporting ministries. Pray for those who lead these ministries, that their lives will be used for God’s glory, and that they would receive an extra outpouring of the Holy Spirit this coming year. (If you can think of specific ministries or church organizations, pray for the leaders by name.)
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray this week for the following General Conference Departmental Directors—that God will give them special wisdom and strength in their work:
o Adventist Chaplaincy Ministries, Mario E. Ceballos.
o Children's Ministries, Linda Mei Lin Koh.
o Communication, Williams S. Costa Jr.
o Education, Lisa M. Beardsley-Hardy.
o Family Ministries, Willie & Elaine Oliver.
o Health Ministries, Peter N. Landless.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for the multiple Seventh-day Adventist world church media networks who broadcast the gospel throughout the globe. Pray for special wisdom and protection for these avenues of communication, especially in areas where it is becoming more difficult to speak freely of the gospel.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Please pray for the presidents, directors, and managers of approximately 50 Hope Channel affiliates around the world who are broadcasting the gospel message in 56 languages.
• PRAYER REQUEST: Pray for 3ABN and supporting media ministries like Better Life Television, and many others, that God will use these channels of influence for His glory.