In the year 2000, as the world entered a new millennium, a book was released that changed the landscape of the faith community and encouraged audiences worldwide to believe for bigger and better things. The book was The Prayer of Jabez: Breaking Through to the Blessed Life by Bruce Wilkinson. Little did Dr. Mary L. Young know when reading the book that little more than two decades later she would be a bestselling author also. For Young, now enjoying the success and acclaim of her bestselling new book The Prayer of Achsah: Getting Your Breakthrough from God, she reflects on the power of living a life of thankfulness.
Finally landing the job of her dreams as a school superintendent after working twenty-five years in public education, Mary L. Young had found contentment and a sense of accomplishment. However, within only a matter of days, everything about her life changed and she found herself thrown into what some might consider a very dark place. “Cancer.” The diagnosis from her doctor was the sort of news that one dreads most. For Young, however, the word served to propel her into her destiny and toward even greater dreams than she had once imagined. Now a two-time breast cancer survivor, Young reflects on the power of thankfulness and shares with the world how living a life of gratitude, despite the storm, not only renewed her sense of faith and purpose but also continues to create the life of her dreams. When Dr. Young joined us for this interview via Zoom, when asked how she feels these days, she replied, simply, “I feel thankful.”
“I thought I was living my dream life when everything happened, but God had even bigger plans for me. Those plans were better plans.” This is how Dr. Mary L. Young describes the events that changed her life, tested her faith, and ultimately led her to become a bestselling author and one of today’s most sought-after speakers. Now cancer free, Dr. Young shares a message of hope and faith with a global audience, encouraging readers to believe for the impossible. “I believe anything is possible when you have faith in God and then learn to believe in yourself a little more,” Young said. For a world of seekers in the post-pandemic era, this message is not only powerful but also highly relatable. “I’m thankful I have the chance to continue to do what I’ve been called to do,” Young says.
While most may have become paralyzed and gripped by hopelessness by such a medical diagnosis, Young viewed the diagnosis as a turning point. The same week that she had received her cancer diagnosis, the governor of her state issued a mandate that schools be closed due to the pandemic. “I made the decision to still be productive and to use the time I’d been given.” And with the newfound time she’d been given, she became a prolific writer, unknowingly writing what some are now considering one of the most influential books of our time. The Prayer of Achsah: Getting Your Breakthrough from God chronicles the life of Achsah from the scriptures, paralleling her life and struggles with the struggles we face in our own modern world. “I saw myself in her story,” Young admits. “We all have struggles, and we’re all being taught to use our faith more.”
Thankfulness is a major theme within the bestselling book. “We have to be thankful for what we’ve been given,” Young says. “Heaven always responds to an attitude of thankfulness.” Young is now using her newfound platform to share this message of hope with thousands of individuals throughout the world, sharing the power of what it means to face life’s most unexpected trials with a sense of hope and faith. In this season of her life, Dr. Mary L. Young hopes to continue writing, inspiring audiences to realize the power of prayer. When asked what she’d like the world to know about prayer, Young replies with a smile, “Prayers don’t have an expiration date, only a manifestation date.” It isn’t difficult to see why the world is now so captivated with Young. In a world where things can so often seem so dark, she shares practical reminders of what it means to keep believing for bigger and better things. The Prayer of Achsah: Getting Your Breakthrough from God by Dr. Mary L. Young is now available worldwide wherever books are sold. To schedule Dr. Young for appearances in your area, visit www.marylyoung.com.
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