This spring, much of the Canadian prairies was hot and dry. My lawn kept crying out for more moisture, quickly revealing dry spots after only a couple of days. In addition, our hot spring came at a time when I was planting my annuals. Early each morning, and sometimes in the evening, I watered to ensure the new roots would become firmly established.
Then on June 14th, the first heavy rain fell in my area—three inches (7.5 cm). In the next month, we continued to get more rain—15 inches (37.5 cm) at the time I began writing this post. It’s been wonderful to see how the lawns drank in the moisture and turned a lush green. The flowers flourished.
This is a picture of what our prayers for our writing can be like: we can sprinkle a few words for God to bless us. Or we can saturate our writing with prayer. But how?
Recently I attended a virtual Prayer Summit with the Kingdom Writers with CJ and Shelley Hitz. A number of speakers emphasized many important prayer concepts, many of which challenged give more thought and focus to my requests and praise. I’ve summarized a number of points from different speakers in the hope that they may help you, too, to saturate your writing with prayer.
Seek God first in your writing, Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith advised us. Spend time with Him, seeking His heart. Give Him moments of intimacy and focus on Him—then discover where He has touched your heart. What topics would He have you focus your attention on? What specifically should you write?
CJ Hitz emphasized it is important to make Scripture the base of your prayer. Read Scripture prayers in the Bible and pray them over your writing. Doing this will ensure you are bringing God’s heart and mind into the picture.
Another specific way to seek God in your writing is through Business meetings with God in which you journal a two-way conversation with God. Phil and Shae Bynes suggested you follow a process to receive the strategies of the Spirit:
P – Praise and gratitude; always begin here
R – Review your journal to refresh earlier conversations
with Him
A – Ask for His mind, heart, and perspective
Y – Yield to what He wants to share with you.
E – Engage with Scripture
D – Decree alignment with God’s will. Delve into His promises
As you write, Dr. Mark Virker suggested you visualize Jesus sitting beside you, guiding your thoughts.
Recognize the enemy wants to disconnect you to God, your writing, and your purpose, Shelley Hitz said. To counteract, pray Ephesians 6:10-18. Visualize putting on the whole armour of God, piece by piece before each writing session. In addition, praying with one or more people together for your writing projects. “If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you” (Matthew 18:19 NLT).
As well as praying with others, our own InScriber, Ruth Snyder, recommended assembling a prayer team for your projects--which will strengthen you, give you an accountability group, and bring God’s power. Share praise items and requests on your progress, and also alert them to pray when the enemy interferes in such areas as family problems, illnesses, blockages.
And lastly, pray for your readers. You are ministering to them. It will renew your vision and writing with a fresh vigor and may open massive doors of opportunity, said David Lee Martin.
Which of these ideas inspires you to saturate your writing? What Scriptures do you bring to your writing?
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by Pixabay
Such a helpful post, dear Sandi. Amen to these words of yours: "Give Him moments of intimacy and focus on Him—then discover where He has touched your heart...pray for your readers."
ReplyDeleteI love your idea of praying Scripture over our writing.
Blessings.
Thank you, Wendy. There was such a wealth of ways to pray for your writing that I captured only a few ideas in this post.
DeleteThank you for this timely recap. I, too, attended that summit and was blessed. There was so much good information - all pointing toward spending more time with God.
ReplyDeleteYes, Tracy, I was happy to know that you also attended, and I appreciated your comments on the Chat. For sure, spending time with God is key to successful endeavours--anywhere.
DeleteSandi, thank you for this powerful reminder of the power and privilege of prayer and prayer support. My pen, prose, and poetry, all need persistent prayer. I don't have a prayer team. Perhaps I will give more thought to this support. Blessings, my friend.
ReplyDeleteYes, Alan, I agree that a prayer team is a major support. Go for it! I have one for the book I'm working on, and I give updates and prayer requests normally every month.
DeleteThanks Sandi. It is so true that the enemy seeks to disconnect us not only from God but our writing and purpose. Prayer is the weapon against that. I will be sharing your thoughts with my daughter, who does not write, but creates visual art. The same call to prayer applies in her work.
ReplyDeleteI trust that your daughter will find this call to prayer beneficial. It also applies to every area of life.
DeleteSandi, thanks for giving us a glimpse of that Prayer Summit by sharing those gems of advice from experts in the field, including our own amazing Ruth Snyder.
ReplyDeleteEspecially connected with this phrase: "discover where He has touched your heart." Oh yes, when I pay attention to where He has touched me, then I discover I have something 'alive' and life-giving to offer. Now I'm reminded of those words in Revelation about overcoming the enemy by the words of our testimony.
Thanks, Sandi, for another priceless post. It's a keeper.
Thanks for your affirmation, Brenda!!
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