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Forbidden Territory
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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Sermon Summary
In this sermon, Basilia Schlink discusses the power of prayer in overcoming worries and cares. She emphasizes the importance of not giving room to worries and shutting the door on them. By surrendering ourselves to God and bringing all our cares and troubles to Him in childlike trust, He will take over the responsibility and provide aid. Schlink encourages the practice of thanking God for past instances of His help, which strengthens our faith for present situations that may seem impossible.
Sermon Transcription
God lives and works today, but maybe you don't feel that way because so many worries and problems are getting you down. Today, we'll be hearing a testimony from the life of Basilia Schlink. This testimony shares how to overcome worry. We all have mountains of cares. There are cares which we ourselves cannot tear out of our hearts. Cares which want to oppress us so that we are no longer glad to be alive. Prayer can help. Prayer can make these cares vanish. But what kind of prayer is necessary? In my experience, I found that it is a matter of not giving cares and worries any room. Shut the door. Don't let them in. Immersing oneself in cares and worries is trespassing on forbidden territory. They spin a web around us to catch us in the intrigues of the enemy. They want to bring us into despair and hopelessness by painting everything black, as though there were no Almighty God, as though the cross that is laid upon us were too heavy. In these cases, there's nothing to do but dismiss these thoughts, to renounce them, and to begin to think the thoughts of God. That means we have to think, pray, sing, and proclaim who God is. He's the Father of love. He cares for me. I can cast all my anxieties upon Him. My will, it may be given to God, the Lord of heaven, who numbers every care of mine. He knows my strengths, so wisely apportions every child that He will ever send to me. When I surrender myself to Him in this manner, bringing all my cares and troubles to Him in childlike trust, and leaving everything to Him that weighs heavenly upon me, He will take over the responsibility every time. An important point is that we begin to thank Him for the other times and situations where He has granted His aid, when there seemed to be no way out, no solution. This will strengthen our faith for the present situations, which seem to be impossible. Yes, we can banish cares and worries with prayers of thanksgiving. The prayer of thanksgiving has the power to make these cares yield, and at the same time, it is a joy to our Father in heaven. I praise your kindness, O my Father. Your heart is filled with love, peace, and love. Your love for your forgiveness, so amazing. And in your arms I rest secure. You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of the Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www.canaan.org. That's K-A-N-A-A-N.org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet. If you do not have access to the web, please write to God Lives and Works Today, 9849 North Fortieth Street, Phoenix, Arizona, 85028-4099, USA. God bless you.
Forbidden Territory
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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.