Our Lives Govern our Writing - Brenda J. Wood

Don’t you hate it when the right words show up days or even weeks after you want them? That’s what happened to me at a session of Ears to Eyes, the writing/speaking class I teach. Someone wanted to know the absolute bare bones basics of preparing a message. I don’t remember what I said, but I do remember that my answer seemed inadequate, to me at least.

Weeks later, in the middle of the night, these words popped into my head. Pray, Purpose, Practice. At first I thought they only applied to the writing class but as I made notes, I realized they should govern our lives.

Whether writing a novel, raising our children or attending school for a law degree, shouldn’t prayer be the number one priority of our lives? After all, God says that we should pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NIV).

And surely, we want to walk in His purpose for our lives, don’t we? “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 2:17, NIV)

And then what good are prayer and purpose if we don’t practice what we preach? “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:26-28, NIV)

(Mary) Flannery O’Connor said, “I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.”

If we live our lives with prayer, purpose and practice, we will always be sure that whatever words show up, those words will honour and glorify God.



Brenda Wood, author & speaker
The Pregnant Pause of Grief, the first trimester of widowhood
Meeting Myself, Snippets from a Binging and Bulging Mind
The Big Red Chair-storybook for grieving children
Heartfelt-366 Devotions for Common Sense Living
God, Gluttony & You, the Bible Study
http://heartfeltdevotionals.com