PRISCILLA SHIRER
And We Are
CHANGED
ENCOUNTERS
WITH A
TRANSFORMING GOD
MOODY PUBLISHERS
Chicago
2003 by
P RISCILLA S HIRER
Published by Moody Publishers.
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.
All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Produced with the assistance of The Livingstone Corporation
( www.LivingstoneCorp.com ). Project staff includes Paige Drygas, Mary Ann Lackland, Neil Wilson, Mary Horner Collins, Kirk Luttrell, Ashley Taylor, Susan Barton, and Cheryl Blum.
Interior design by Cheryl Blum.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Shirer, Priscilla Evans
And we are changed : encounters with a transforming God / Priscilla Shirer.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-8024-3311-1
1. Christian life-Meditations. I. Title.
BV4501.3.S54 2003
248.4dc21
2003007134
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Printed in the United States of America
F OR A NTHONY
For living a life of unbridled devotion to God
For stepping out and away from the crowd
For being different
For never acquiescing
For using your talents for Him and Him alone
For not straddling the fence
For leaving the cocoon of mediocrity behind
For living radically and outlandishly for God
For determining in your heart that He is all you need
For passionately pursuing holiness
For tolerating the jokes of your peers
For accepting the fact that you wont fit in with every crowd
For not caring what they say
For taking the ridicule of many with a shrug and a smile
For the grin on your face that tells of your secret place with the Master
For being a trailblazer, a mentor to my son your first nephew
Never lose your individuality
Never accept being status quo
Never look back
Press on
C ONTENTS
Section One
The Encounter That Leads to Transformation
Section Two
Obstacles to Transformation
Section Three
The Miracle of Transformation
A S PECIAL W ORD OF T HANKS
To Elsa and the entire Moody Publishers staff. Thank you for helping me to convey the message of my heart to women all over the world. I am honored to work with you and am so grateful that you have partnered with me on this project.
To my new girlfriends, Paige and Mary Ann. I am in awe of your ability to take my scrambled thoughts and unedited manuscript and maneuver words in such a way that it makes sense to the reader. Thank you for spending so much time getting to know me and the message that I wanted to share in this book. I am so blessed to have worked with you on this project. Thank you for using your incredible gift for the kingdom of God.
To Miss Anne. Many years ago I asked the Lord to send a godly woman to me who could help to guide me as I find my way in ministry and in life. The Lord has answered my prayer in you. You are my friend and spiritual mentor. Your walk with the Savior inspires me to re-evaluate my own. Thank you for challenging me to go deeper, reminding me to stay focused, and taking the time to help this young woman find her way. I am honored to have your written words as the foreword to this book.
To Mom and Dad. I love you and appreciate your support and encouragement in ministry. Thank you for giving me life and entrusting me to the Lords guidance at such an early age. These written pages are a testament to the type of parenting that I was so blessed to have. Thank you.
To the two men in my life, Jerry and baby Jackson. I cannot begin to describe how overwhelmed I feel when I think about the treasure that I have in you. There is nowhere that I would rather be than at home with you. There is no other company that I would like to keep more than yours. And there is no honor greater than sharing my life with you. Thank you for loving me, accepting me, laughing with me, crying with me, and most of all, calling me wife and mom. You are my family and always my first ministry.
F OREWORD
Priscilla Evans Shirer is a joy! Her proclamation of Gods Word, her pursuit of Christ, and her passion for Gods people ensure that those who hear her speak or who read her words will be blessed! She possesses the rare gift of presenting the deep things of God with warmth and humor, captivating her audiences and readers.
I first encountered Priscilla five years ago at a large convention, briefly exchanging words with her in the lobby of the hotel. In those few moments, we bonded unexplainably. Maybe the bonding was due to the fact that she is the same age as my youngest daughter. Maybe its due to the fact that we both have well-known fathers who are outstanding preachers. Maybe its because we both recognize that God has placed His hand on us as women, calling us into ministry.
Regardless of the reason for the special attachment that exists between Priscilla and me, it is there, and I thank God for it. I consider her to be a daughter to me in the ministry and am honored to recommend this book to you. My prayer is that as you read it, you will have a life-changing encounter with the living God, breaking out of apathy, complacency, and religiosity as you enter into the freedom of a transformed life.
Anne Graham Lotz
I NTRODUCTION
ONE DAY several months ago, before my husband left for work, he stopped at the bedside where I was still tucked underneath the covers and gave me a kiss good-bye. He said that he had an invitation to some type of luncheon that day and asked me to attend with him. I had nothing planned that day, so I agreed to go. Im not one to turn down free food! My husband only knew for certain that the luncheon had something to do with the opening of a new movie. I was less intrigued by the nature of the event than by the prospect of having a delightful lunch with my husband. Little did I know what the day held for me.