Solutions August 2018 | Page 17

of God came from heaven, died on the
cross, and rose again for their salvation.
I wish they would receive Him so they
could know that He has adopted them as
sons and daughters, and has given them
a new name, His name, and that He alone
can bring them the joy and fulfillment
they seek in this life, along with eternal
life in heaven.
More than two thousand years ago, this
young girl from Nazareth—the least of
all the towns of that region—expressed
a healthy self-esteem and a humble and
selfless spirit. No one can make you feel
inferior without your consent, and Mary
would give no such consent, even though
there were surely many people who
wanted to destroy her reputation because
of her unwed pregnancy. She said, “My
spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has
been mindful of the humble state of his
servant” (vv. 47–48).
Taken from Life-Changing Prayers by Michael
Youssef. Copyright © 2018. Used by permission
of Baker Books, a division of Baker Publishing
Group (www.bakerpublishinggroup.com).
Michael
Youssef
Dr. Michael Youssef was born
in Egypt and lived in Lebanon
and Australia before coming to
the United States and fulfilling a
childhood dream of becoming an
American citizen. He holds degrees
from Moore College in Sydney,
Australia, and Fuller Theological
Seminary in California, with a Ph.D.
in social anthropology from Emory
University. He founded The Church
of The Apostles in 1987 with fewer
than 40 adults with the mission
to “Equip the Saints and Seek
the Lost.” The church has since
grown to a congregation of over
3000. This church on a hill was the
launching pad for Leading The
Way’s international ministry.
Solutions • 17