Wisdom from Amy Carmichael

I'm reading a book called 10 People Every Christian Should Know, and the chapter on Amy Carmichael was especially inspiring. (I'll write a review of the whole book in another post.) Here are her three principles for prayer:

1. We don't need to explain to our Father things that are known to Him.
2. We don't need to press Him, as if we had to deal with an unwilling God.
3. We don't need to suggest to Him what to do, for He Himself knows what to do.

For how many of us would these principles eliminate the majority of our prayers' content? Do we really pray to communicate with our Father, or are we more keen on hearing ourselves talk?

And here is her "Confession of Love," originally written to help a group of Indian girls understand Christian life and service:

• My Vow: Whatsoever Thou sayest unto me, by Thy grace I will do it.
• My Constraint: Thy love, O Christ, my Lord.
• My Confidence: Thou are able to keep that which I have committed unto Thee.
• My Joy: To do Thy will, O God.
• My Discipline: That which I would not choose, but which Thy love appoints.
• My Prayer: Conform my will to Thine.
• My Motto: Love to live--live to love.
• My Portion: The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance.

Dare I write out my confession of love, truthfully? How far distanced are my character's hopes and realities? By God's grace, I pray for the intensity and tenacity of such devotion still seen in Amy Carmichael's testimony.