Life-Giving Water | A Reflection on Mother Olga’s Prayer
With tens of thousands other people across the globe, I joined Hallow in their Pray40 challenge this year. The beautiful prayer by Mother Olga pierced my heart: “Lord, empty me. Fill me. Use me.” But as I reflect on my Lent this Easter season, I know I didn’t get far in that prayer—I couldn’t even get past the first line.
“Lord, empty me.”
These words came to mind throughout my day: at my desk, in the car, before bed. And every time, the words felt almost painful.
How could the Lord empty what already feels so barren?
If I’m being honest, as I know it is the experience of many women in our Magdala community, I’m in a long season of feeling empty. I often feel like I have nothing left to give and no energy to pull from. To ask the Lord to empty me felt almost dangerous. So I decided to skip that step of the prayer and focus my energy on the second intention.
“Lord, fill me.”
This is the part of the prayer where we find the story of Jesus and the woman at the well:
So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, “How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?” (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”
—John 4:5-10
Jesus, the Son of God, offers this woman living water.
Water that brings life.
Water that will never make me thirst again.
Life-giving, thirst-quenching, forever-filling water. And my question is the same as the woman: “where can you get this living water?” (John 4:11)
Jesus proceeds to share intimate knowledge of this woman before revealing, “I am He.” (John 4:26). Yes, He is the Christ, but also yes, He is the water.
From the pierced side of our Beloved Jesus flows the life-giving water He promises us.
The life-giving water flowing from the right side of the temple depicted in both Ezekiel 47 and Revelation 22.
A life-giving river where trees and plants surround both sides—producing endless vegetation, where even the leaves are used for healing; a river of restoration; an endless supply.
Jesus is our life-giving water. Jesus is our endless supply. Jesus restores what is lifeless and fills what is empty.
And friends, I am empty. My schedule is overbooked, my energy level is drained, my emotions are high, and my ability to give is fleeting.
But this Easter, I am able to tap into a well that won’t run dry. I can sit at the feet of my Risen Lord, who comes to us with visible wounds and a cup in hand.
I’m ready and eager to be filled. And His desire is to fill. All I have to do is ask.
So if your tank is on empty, pray, “Lord, fill me.”
If your energy is depleted, pray, “Lord, fill me.”
If your hope is hanging on by a thread, pray, “Lord, fill me.”
If you struggle getting out of bed, pray, “Lord, fill me.”
If you’ve fallen too many times to count, pray, “Lord, fill me.”
If your motivation is fleeting, pray, “Lord, fill me.”
If you feel desolate, deserted, abandoned, rejected, or barren, pray, “Lord, fill me.”
Thank You God for an endless supply of life-giving water—Lord, fill me, again and again.
He satisfies the thirsty soul and fills the hungry with good things.
—Psalm 107:9