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For Periods of Need
Basilea Schlink

Basilea Schlink (1904 - 2001). German religious leader, writer, and co-founder of the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary, born Klara Schlink in Darmstadt to a professor of mechanics. Raised Lutheran, she studied at Fröbelseminar in Kassel (1923) and Berlin’s Inner Mission girls’ school (1924), later earning a doctorate in psychology from Hamburg University in 1934 with a thesis on adolescent faith struggles. From 1933 to 1935, she led the Women’s Division of the German Student Christian Movement, resisting Nazi exclusion of Jewish Christians. In 1947, with Erika Madauss, she founded the Sisterhood in Darmstadt, taking the name Mother Basilea, growing it to 209 sisters across 11 global branches by 2001. Schlink authored over 60 books, including My All for Him, translated into 60 languages, and published tracts in 90. Her radio programs aired in 23 languages, emphasizing repentance and reconciliation, especially between Germans and Jews. Unmarried, she dedicated her life to prayer and ministry, shaping interdenominational Christian communities.
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In this sermon, Basilia Schlink discusses the concept of praying for our needs and desires. She emphasizes the importance of discerning whether our requests align with God's plan for our lives or if they are driven by our own ambitions. Schlink shares her own experiences of relying on God for provision and how He has always exceeded their expectations. She encourages listeners to prioritize seeking God's kingdom and righteousness, and to be willing to give to others even when they themselves may not have enough. Ultimately, Schlink reminds us that as children of God, we can approach Him with thanksgiving because He has already provided for us.
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God lives and works today, but maybe you don't feel that way right now because he hasn't given you something you wanted or needed. Today's meditation by Basilia Schlink has a helpful suggestion about what to do and why to do it. We all have to experience times when we do not have everything we need. Or perhaps there have been times when we have lacked money to buy the things that we or our families need. Perhaps you don't have enough money to care for your children properly or to give them the necessary education. What type of prayer can remedy such situations? First, we should make certain that we're really faced with a situation of need or whether we simply want to pray away something that God has ordained for our lives. Perhaps, according to our desires, ambition, or will, we want to attain something that's not in God's plan for us. Therefore, the first thing we should do is pray that God will give us his light and his standards. He will show us what we really need and what we should pray for. For many years now in our sisterhood, we've experienced situations of need. We have not asked people for help. We have been dependent upon the Heavenly Father. We have brought him our childlike prayers, and he has never disappointed us. Rather, he has always given us more than we asked for and more than our imagination could grasp. That is, if we live according to his word, seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. This means we should not want to have these things for ourselves, but rather we should work and spend ourselves for his kingdom. We should devote our last efforts and strength for that purpose. This may also include the willingness to give our brothers what they ask for, even if we do not have enough. Of course, we should be mindful that our relationship to God and to our fellow men is in order. Then everything else which we need for our daily life will be ours as well, according to his promise. Yes, as children of God, we may approach him with thanksgiving because he has already opened his hands for us. Indeed, he never leaves unanswered a prayer for something his children really need, if we have removed all of the obstacles to prayer. I come ever singing The very air is ringing Our Father in heaven Is loving all now A heart full of kindness A heart of love and goodness The heart of the Godhead And I am his child I come with my praises For a love which so amazes The hearts of his children Once full of their sin A heart full of kindness A heart of love and goodness The heart of the Godhead Our Father is King Please contact this radio station for our postal address. God bless you.
For Periods of Need
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Basilea Schlink (1904 - 2001). German religious leader, writer, and co-founder of the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary, born Klara Schlink in Darmstadt to a professor of mechanics. Raised Lutheran, she studied at Fröbelseminar in Kassel (1923) and Berlin’s Inner Mission girls’ school (1924), later earning a doctorate in psychology from Hamburg University in 1934 with a thesis on adolescent faith struggles. From 1933 to 1935, she led the Women’s Division of the German Student Christian Movement, resisting Nazi exclusion of Jewish Christians. In 1947, with Erika Madauss, she founded the Sisterhood in Darmstadt, taking the name Mother Basilea, growing it to 209 sisters across 11 global branches by 2001. Schlink authored over 60 books, including My All for Him, translated into 60 languages, and published tracts in 90. Her radio programs aired in 23 languages, emphasizing repentance and reconciliation, especially between Germans and Jews. Unmarried, she dedicated her life to prayer and ministry, shaping interdenominational Christian communities.