Prayerful Writing

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

~ Colossians 4:2

It came to my attention today that while I spend a lot of time in prayer, I don't spend a lot of time in prayer over my writing. I pray for my family, and for God to use me. But I don't pray often enough about the words that I write for others to read, or even the readers that will be on the receiving end. Sure, I do sometimes, but not always. 


Can you relate to that? Do you ever just type out what you want to say and hit publish without giving it a second thought? I do that far too often. Sure there are times when I spend too long trying to perfect a piece, but even then I don't always to remember to inquire of the Lord.


Truth be told, writing is my ministry. I have never been outside of the U.S., but my writing has. It has been read by people in Australia, Africa, and who knows where else. To realize that words that I have written without praying first have been read by thousands is a bit humbling. So, I have a new resolve. I'm making a note. I will do more praying when it comes to my writing life.


I started this post with a verse from Colossians. The following verses continue in the same train of thought, and I want to share them with you here:


Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.

~ Colossians 4:2-6

How does that pertain to me as a writer?

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ~ I need to be devoted to praying for my writing. Before I write, while I write, and even after I write. Watching to see what God does with it, and giving thanks to Him.

And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ... Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ~ I should be praying not only that my writing will bless it's readers and bring honor to Christ, but also that the readers can take what they have learned and share it with others. That God would open the doors for them to do so.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; ~ I need to remember that not all of my readers will be Christians, and share God's message with grace and humility. 

...make the most of every opportunity. ~ Each and every time I sit down to write is a new opportunity to share God with others. Whether I'm writing a devotion, a blog post, or even a press release I need to make sure that my words bring glory and honor to Christ. 

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. ~ I must always remember to write the truth in love. But also be ready to tell people about Christ when I'm not writing. I must always conduct myself in a way that brings honor to my Creator, whether I'm writing or not.

I'm linking up with Word-Filled Wednesday over at Internet Cafe Devotions. Check it out for more Word-Filled posts by visiting: http://internetcafedevotions.com/