6 Strategies to Help You Pray for Your Writing
If we want to be writing words that will impact lives for God’s Kingdom, we need God to be co-writing with us. And that requires time in prayer, surrendering our writing to God, seeking Him for clarity, for His Words. It requires surrendering our books to Him when we launch them, and praying that they impact the hearts that need our God-given message, for open doors (through new opportunities or colloborations) for your book and it’s message, and for all all other writerly things on your heart or mind.
We know prayer is powerful and it’s important, but sometimes it can feel overwhelming. Here’s a few strategies that can help:
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Have ‘Business Meetings’ with God
“Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established.” (Proverbs 16:3)
Shae Bynes writes about a prayer practice she uses to help commit your work to the Lord. She calls them “business meetings with God,” a dedicated time in which you pray over your work, business, or ministry (or in this case, over your writing and writing ministry). These business meetings with God don’t have to be fancy or formal. Bynes writes about how her meetings include any number of prayer practices, such as praise and worship, asking for wisdom regarding business opportunities, journaling prayers for her ministry, and reading His Word.
There are so many things you could be praying for your writing, it might feel a little overwhelming. I recommend the book Prayers for Writers, a book with prayers compiled by members of my local Christian writing group to help you pray about your writing.
Just as you may have scheduled meetings for work, ministry, etc, I highly encourage you to schedule a business meeting with God–and keep it. You may want to plan to have a prayer meeting before every writing session. Or every Tuesday morning, or whatever works for you. Scheduling it makes it a habit, a priority, an appointment with the greatest of CEOs that you’ll want to keep.
By keeping a little sign that says “But First Pray” next to my computer, I’m reminded to have a little business meeting with God regarding my writing. Maybe you need to put a prayer book or a sign or even a Post-It note on or near your computer that remind you to have a meeting with God before you write a single word.
Pray Scriptures for Your Writing
“Take… the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (Ephesians 6:17)
We learn from the Ephesians 6 Armor of God passage that we are equipped with armor of protection, and we are also provided with the weapon of God’s Word and with prayer. Both are awesome and powerful on their own. But imagine how powerful they would be combined together!
Not only that, but when we pray God’s Words, we’re surrendering our own desires for our writing, and aligning them with God’s dreams and desires for our writing based on His very Word.
Plus, let’s face it, sometimes we may not know how to pray for our writing, or may feel like we’re praying for the same thing over and over and so finding God’s Word to pray for our writing is a great to refresh and focus our prayers.
Here’s a list of some of my favorite Scriptures to pray for your writing to get you started. Also, the book 21 Prayers for Writers has 21 beautiful prayers—filled with related Scriptures—to pray for your writing.
Assemble a Prayer Team
“When Moses’ arms grew tired, Aaron and Hur brought a stone for him to sit on, while they stood beside him and held up his arms, holding them steady until the sun went down. In this way Joshua totally defeated the Amalekites.” (Exodus 17:12)
Writing can be a lonely, solitary journey, but just as we may assemble a launch team (sometimes also known as a street team) to help us launch our book into the world, we can (and should!) assemble a prayer team to pray for us and our writing. We need others who will hold us up and encourage us in their prayers, like Aaron and Hur did for Moses when he was too tired to keep his hands raised, which led to the Israelites experiencing victory.
I recommend reaching out to people you know who would be excited to pray for you and your writing. These could be friends from church, family members, fans of your writing, etc and invite them to be part of your prayer team. You could also ask people on your email list or who follow your writing on social media if they’d be interested in being part of your prayer team. It doesn’t have to be large, I have seven people on my team, but they are seven people I know are committed to praying for me, my family, and my writing.
Then, create a private Facebook group, or an email list just for them. Update them consistently (I send prayer updates once a month) and let them know how they could be praying for you, any praises and writerly updates, etc. Maybe you meet occasionally in a Zoom meeting where you can share your requests and then those who feel led can pray for you, and you can pray for them too. Do what makes sense to you.
Connect with a Writing Prayer Partner
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” (James 5:16)
I highly recommend connecting with a Christian writer in your local area or connect online with a writing friend you’ve met online or in a writing conference and set up regular meetings to chat about life and writing, share about your writing projects, share your prayer requests with each other, and take time to pray for each other. This person becomes like a writing accountability partner, a true friend, and a prayer warrior for your writing all in one. You can also email, text, or call each other for check-ins, accountability, and prayer requests. It’s nice to know you’ve got someone in your corner ready to pray for you.
Journal Your Prayers for Your Writing
“My heart overflows with a good theme;
I address my verses to the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.”
(Psalm 45:1)
As writers, sometimes the best way for us to process information and stay focused is by writing. So why not write out our prayers for our writing? I think of David and the other psalmists, who poured out their hearts and questions in their psalms, but always ended with words of trust and praise for God’s character.
I like to have a prayer journal for pouring out my heart and emotions and prayers for my family and other topics near and dear to my heart, and I have a separate notebook just for writing out prayers related to my writing. Writing out my prayers helps me stay focused as I pray, and also provides a record of how God is working in my heart and in my circumstances related to my writing. I write out Scriptures personalized to my writing requests, my writing related prayer requests and praises, prayers of surrender, and keep a record of answered prayers when it comes to my writing. I also like to end my time of prayer journaling by being still and listening to God, and record any thoughts I believe are from Him in my writing prayer notebook.
Fast and Pray for Your Writing
"While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” (Acts 13:2)
I love that throughout Scripture, when one of our Bible heroes sets out to pray and fast, they are strengthened in their calling from the Lord. I think it is a great example for us to take some time to fast and pray for our writing when needed. It may be before a book launch, or when you’re struggling with writer’s block or needing clarity in your writing and wanting God to move in your writing life. You don’t have to fast from food, it could be from social media or something else that you find yourself turning to more than God, so that you can seek more of God and His wisdom and movement in your life.
If you do plan on a fast for your writing, I highly recommend you get a copy of Pray Hear Write: 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting for Breakthrough in Your Writing. This is a fantastic tool to guide you through a fast, provide you with prayer prompts and journaling space to help guide you in your time of prayer and fasting.
There’s so many prayer practices, tools, and strategies, but find the ones that work best for you and stick with them. Which new prayer strategies do you want to add to your prayer practice for your writing, I’d love to hear it!