A Jewel in His Crown: Rediscovering Your Value as a Woman of Excellence

by Priscilla Shirer, Kirk Franklin (Foreword)

A bestseller! Priscilla Shirer has her hands on the pulse of women today. Women are becoming increasingly weary and discouraged and are thus losing sight of their real value as daughters of the King. A Jewel in His Crown examines how a woman's view of her worth deeply affects her relationships. Her practical wisdom has helped thousands of women renew their strength and become women of excellence.

Genres: Christian, Christianity, Christian Living, Faith, Self Help, Religion, Inspirational

179 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Priscilla Shirer is a wife and a mom first. But put a Bible in her hand and a message in her heart and you’ll see why thousands flock to her conferences and dive into her Bible study series’ and books each year.

A graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary, Priscilla holds a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies and considers it a privilege to serve believers from every denomination and culture by helping them to know the truths of Scripture intellectually and encouraging them to experience these truths practically by the power of the Holy Spirit.

In addition to Priscilla’s participation in many church and para-church conferences across the globe each year, Going Beyond Ministries hosts AWAKEN – an outreach event in their hometown designed to encourage and mobilize women locally. This free gathering brings together thousands of women from different denominations and backgrounds several times a year in an effort to stir revival.

Going Beyond Ministries also equips believers through books and Bible study resources. Priscilla has authored over a dozen video driven studies for women and teens on a myriad of Biblical characters and topics including Jonah, Gideon, the Exodus, discerning God’s voice, The Armor of God.

Her books include Discerning the Voice of God, God is Able, and two New York Times Bestsellers – The Resolution for Women and Fervent: A Woman’s Battle Plan for Serious, Specific and Strategic Prayer, which was named the 2016 Christian Book of the Year. Her latest offering is a 365-day devotional called Awaken: 90 Days with the God Who Speaks. In 2016, Priscilla ventured into the world of children’s publishing with The Prince Warriors, a fiction 4-book series and accompanying 365-day devotional (Unseen) designed to equip tween boys and girls for victory in spiritual warfare.

Priscilla has been married to Jerry for 20 years. Between studying and writing, she spends most of her time cleaning up after (and trying to satisfy the appetites of) their three growing boys – Jackson, Jerry Jr. and Jude.

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

The root of a lot of our problems as Christian women is not truly understanding our value in God. When you don’t know your value it shows up in your character, and relationships. This book really made me realize who I am to the King. It’s because of this book that I realized my worth. A lot of women claim they know, but I can bet they don’t. The journal alongside it is perfect too!

[osoordinary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read. I was disappointed to find so many typos throughout the book. Other than that, there were some great points made and it has helped me get a different perspective about my worth as a woman of God.

[Amanda Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a wonderful book!!!! It was a gift from a friend of mine and his mother. I enjoyed this book and hearing her speak.

[Pia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a clear understanding on what it means to be a woman of God. It shows you how you can get there with God's help.

[Inna · Rating 2 out of 5]

No congruence between author’s teaching and her life-practice

The author is not congruent with her words and actions. She suggests and argues for women to be submissive, obey, serving men, look for man covering (if your not married, than find any godly men, and follow their advices), stay away from men, do not introduce yourself to men, live under authority, don’t take leadership away from your man (example used in the book is planning invitation list for the wedding, and asking your groom about it)...and yet she herself doesn’t live at home with her daddy, constantly traveling across the USA, travelled to Israel, preaching from the podium, went on a few beauty pageants (with a swimsuit competition), have finished 2 college degrees (journalism, and Bible studies), have never had real life relational trauma (other than running after a guy who simply wasn’t into her; yet she made it out to be that it broke off because she was too forceful). Her life is full with her being independent, doing what she wants, making decisions (many) on her own, I don’t see her asking every man she knows for simplest decisions on her life, additionally, she has male friends (based on her words, she should not). I would say 1/3 of the book is filled with this. The other 2/3 is ok to read. I see in many things she is also ignorant. She made a harsh statement that to heal all you need to is pray and get over your self.... childhood trauma, abuse, relationship abuse, don’t get healed with only prayer, there needs to be more. I would recommend reading Joyce Meyer, she has a congruent approach to love of God, Bible, everyday Christianity and real life struggles and emotional healing. Finally, I believe, she misinterpreted quite a few Bible passages to fit her point. She interpreted them in such a way, that it’s not even close to what is actually written in the Word.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read A Jewel in His Crown: Rediscovering Your Value as a Woman of Excellence as a Bible study with a friend. It was our first exposure to Ms. Shirer. The book generated a lot of good discussion, though we agreed that it was more of a topical exploration than a Bible study. The book has much value, it just wasn't what we were expecting.

The book held some "Ah, yes!!" moments for us as well as some "what did she just say???" (particularly her opinion that every Christian woman must be subject to a man, and if not married, she should seek out a good Christian man to make decisions in her behalf. We respectfully disagree.). Also, at times it seemed like a dating manual - a lot of information and time spent on the long-term relationship she had prior to meeting her husband.

The book did serve the purpose of having each of us examine our life and our view of ourself compared to how God sees us and what God wants/expects of us. That was very worthwhile. I have since had the true pleasure of seeing a simulcast by Priscilla Shirer. She is a very dynamic speaker, relatable and a strong witness for Christianity.

I look forward to reading more of her books.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of Priscilla Shirer's earliest books (published only months after she'd gotten married), this book shows the excitement of a new author. Unfortunately, it also contains many of the mistakes new authors make in terms of organization. Chapter titles and section headings often do not have much to do with what that chapter/section is about, and the ideas flow in a stream-of-consciousness pattern that often left me wondering, "What is she trying to say?" There is some good content hidden in the pages that can springboard great discussion, but the book itself does not flesh out those ideas much.

Ultimately, it's a collection of personal anecdotes, opinions, and revelations the author had about various topics related to womanhood and identity. It's not really a Bible study as much as a devotional, perhaps. If you understand that going in, you may have a better time taking what she says (and how she says it) with a grain of salt.

[Anna Grace Paulovkin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little cheesy and definitely dated but there are lots of good principles in the book. I do feel like it is mostly geared towards college aged women.

“My prayer for you and me is that when people take a step into our lives they will find they are stepping into a deep, clear spring filled with value, glory, and power. I pray that they will find limitless attributes that are waiting to be poured freely out upon the world.”

“Wherever your path has taken you, your life is no surprise to God. He didn't forget to give you the skills and gifts, patience and talents that you would need to be successful right where you are. Before you were born, He knew you, consecrated you, and appointed you (Jeremiah 1:5-6). Before the foundation of the world God knew who you would be, what you would become, and everything that you would need in order to serve Him in that position.”

[Faith Crosley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another incredible Priscilla Shirer book under my belt! This book focuses on the value that we, as women in Christ, have and how to rediscover that gift. Shirer dives head-first into a ton of raw and honest applications of the Bible and very applicable topics like living like Christ, battling with prior sin, and dating and marriage as a woman of excellence. I really enjoyed the honesty of this book as Shirer goes into many stories from her past and present to help explain that we are all works in progress. Loved this book from cover to cover, especially the prayer prompts and reflection questions!

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am usually a huge fan of Priscilla Shirer. However, you can tell that this book is from her backlist. She was much younger when she wrote it, and after reading her more current works, you can see that she has grown and matured in her theology and writing. There were some great points in this book, but it certainly isn’t one of her best works. I also think that I was not her target audience. For me, I would compare it to reading a book about parenting the newborn stage, when my own children are in elementary and middle school.

[mark mccarty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Jewel in His Crown

Having read many of Priscilla us books and studies, I am a big fan of her writing. This book hit me right between the eyes..in a good way. After finishing this book, I have discovered that I was living below my value as a daughter of the King. But no more! I am motivated and ready to walk in the fullness of His grace. I am valuable in His eyes and that is what will govern my walk and actions! A must read!!

[Jessica Granados · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful and elegant book about how to be a women of God. I finally found somebody that could put into words what God wanted me to know: Who I am in Him: His precious daughter. For all the women who didn’t grow up knowing their value in God’s eyes, this is the perfect book. I feel so thankful for having the opportunity to read it. 🙏🏼

[Laurie Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this book took me a while to read due to other obligations, it confirmed my understanding of who I am as a daughter of God. Some parts of this book were repetitive. I assume that is because it is one of Priscilla's earlier books.
I would suggest this book for any woman questioning her worth or dealing with self esteem in any season of life.

[Beth Peninger]

Originally I gave this title 3 stars. I am revising my stars to zero.

The reason I am doing so is that since reading this title, several things about my faith journey and expression have changed and I no longer subscribe to evangelical ideologies.

[LaDonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great Lent read.

[Ruthanne Bowers · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this book felt a little shallow, like it was just about making you feel good. But there is definitely some real stuff in it.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about your identity as a daughter of God. It was good, full of truths, but many that were overly familiar.

[Amanda Bigner-Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wish I read this when I was single

Good read. Good nuggets . Good examples. Suggest to any single ladies growing their faith before marriage. Still beneficial for married women.

[Mandy Dawson Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can here Priscilla preaching this.

I'd like to highlight every word in the book.

[Metris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reading was good, motivating and inspiring.

[RhondaTurner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal and inspiring

Fantastic read. This book is very up lifting and refreshing for anyone needing a pick me up!!!! Very inspirational! A must read.

[Rebecca McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!

[Nelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Rediscovering your value as a woman of excellence".

Oh what a wonderful book! I'm very glad to say that this book is a book every woman should read! I especially recommend this for single women... if I'd read this book while I was depressingly single, it would have helped my outlook immensely in regards to men and what God had/has in store for me. As a married women, it was just as helpful to read.

Ever since going to a Hillsong Women's Colour Conference, I've loved being referred to a Princess, the Daughter of the King and this book is full of those uplifting references. I'll definitely be reading this book over again.

As I read books, I quite often note paragraphs/sentences that stand out for me. This book had many of those, so I refrained from copying them all (it would become plagiarism!), but here are few that really had me thinking:

"Thankfully, as Christian women, we are learning to base our self-image on how God sees us and what He thinks of us [as opposed to allowing "what others say and think to dominate us":]. As the King's daughters, we really have only one significant question to answer on the subject: Who are were in the eyes and mind of our Lord?" (pg 33)

"If you are like most women, you have probably looked in the mirror and wondered why in the world God decided to make you the way He did. Maybe you have always been totally dissatisfied with the way you were created, and have always wished for something "better". We are made in God's own likeness; how insulted he must feel when we do this." (pg 40) There is a whole lot more to the paragraph, but that's the gist of it.

"Satan's goal is is to get us to forget that God made us the way we are for a reason. He knows that if we get focused enough on our weaknesses, we'll never get around to using our strengths for the kingdom of God." (pg 42)

"Orthodoxy is the central belief of the historical Christian faith. Orthopraxy, on the other hand, is the lifestyle you put into practice as a result of that theological foundation." I found that very interesting to read!

And that's about it! Although there is so much more I could unwrap from this book, I figure you just need to read it for yourself and discover your own little gems of wisdom!

[Melanie Simmerman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but not exactly what I was expecting. I was hoping for a book that would tackle some of the difficult issues in the Bible regarding women and our role in the Kingdom. What I found was a good book tackling women and self-esteem, which is okay but not great.
Although I greatly respect Priscilla Shirer, I think that there should be much more depth to our theology as women than just self esteem issues. Is all that God purposed for us as women to just struggle with our self esteem and never actually address deeper theological issues? That was mainly what disappointed me about this book. I know that Priscilla Shirer is very intelligent, and I hoped that she would write a book that would challenge me intellectually and spiritually, without making it a typical book about self esteem.
That being said, I really do think that she did a great job addressing this subject.

[Marin Heiskell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book over a year ago and just now got around to reading it. Wow, do I regret I waited so long! This book has truly changed my life. Priscilla leaves no stone unturned as she gets straight to the heart of the matter---that we as women tend to lose sight of our value as God's daughters; and once we reclaim it, we look at EVERYTHING differently, from our ambitions and desires to our strengths and weaknesses to our friendships and relationships.
I have had the blessing of hearing Priscilla speak multiple times, and this book is a true reflection of the heart of her ministry. Loved it!

[L8blmr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though there were times that I felt like there were blurred lines between realizing one's worth through God's eyes and building up one's self esteem, there was still a lot to like in this book. Mrs. Shirer's gift for delivering a message and using powerful, sometimes hard-hitting words to do so is not as developed as her father's (Dr. Tony Evans) but she has a way of including short "real life" stories as examples to drive her point home.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every single woman needs to read this book! It has been life changing. Priscilla Shirer makes you understand who we are in Jesus and the special place we hold as women of the Kingdom! She speaks to the very heart of what it is to recognize and meet the potential we've been created for and called to reach as a daughter of the King.

[Sarah Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is basically about a woman named Elisabeth Elliot she a woman of God and she tells her life story and all tthe things she has been through and how God has help her along the way.
And all the different lessons she has learned and how she is a stronger person because of all the things God has helped her go through.

[Ladypoet Nfaith]

Nothing's more important than knowing the importance of your existence to God especially as a woman. We are a valuable piece of creativity carved from his hands to walk as royalty and accept nothing but the best. Good read and great confirmation. Writer has the anointing to write for the kingdom.

[Kya A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible study (you should consider purchasing the workbook). It took me longer than it should to complete it, but this is a great study for any young woman in the faith to be reminded of her worth and who exactly she is in the King's court. Shirer, a true Kingdom woman, doesn't let us down as she ministers in the book.