By Brenda McGraw @BrendaMMcGraw
Brenda McGraw is an author and speaker who reveals how to discover joy beyond the clutter of life. She draws from her own life experiences in the #1 Amazon Best seller, “Joy Beyond, 28 Days to Finding Joy Beyond the Clutter of Life”. She is the founder of Ask God Today Ministries where she has a team of writers sharing truth and hope with others.
What
was the last best-selling book you read that changed your thoughts from
negative to positive?
One
of my favorite books was The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. It changed me and
gave me hope for a future in writing. The book is about praying. Our prayers
change others and us. The Circle Maker teaches us ways to pray.
Did
you know if you are a writer you to have the power to change other’s lives? The
words you write have power. They can speak life into your readers. Choose them
wisely.
I
still stand amazed that God has chosen me and allowed me to write and other
people actually read what I say. I believe that it is not by accident that I
have gone through many hard times in my life and because of those times I am
able to share how I overcame them. My words can bring hope to others. My
writing can speak truth into someone’s life that may be overwhelmed and discouraged.
Your writing can speak to others as well.
Obedience
to God is all it takes. If you have heard the calling of God on your life to
write, then you should write. No matter the obstacles, no matter the lack of
confidence, leave the outcome to the Lord. It’s just our responsibility to be
obedient.
I
know it takes time to sit down and do the writing, and sometimes we wonder if
anyone will even read what we say, so why bother. Right? Wrong!
Take
the time and do the work and even if only one person reads what you write,
that’s okay. God can use it. It may be that one person who needed to hear what
you have to say. Speak truth into your readers. Give them something they can
hang onto that will challenge or encourage them.
Many
people are about ready to quit. They may be struggling in their marriage or
with their children and they are ready to walk away. They may be at the point
where they doubt God and are ready to walk away. As a writer we can speak love
and life back into their world. We should never take that opportunity for
granted. As a writer we can use our words of wisdom to touch their hearts and
change their mind from negative to positive.
God
has chosen you. God has challenged you. God will use you when you least expect
it. Rise up dear writer friends and let’s don’t quit. Your defining moment is
right around the corner and it’s not up to us to know when that time is. It’s
only us to be obedient in our calling to listen to God and write.
Press
on!
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we
will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone,
and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
Galatians
6:9-10
TWEETABLE
Brenda currently lives in South Carolina with her husband, Jeff and three of their five children. She is a survivor of breast cancer and a heart attack.. Despite the challenges she has endured, Brenda found peace through her relationship with Jesus Christ.
You can connect with Brenda at:
Website - http://www.askgodtoday.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Brenda-McGraw/e/B00GOIE7AG
Brenda, Thank you for the encouragement and reminder that we each have an important part in the body of Christ. I am a prayer warrior. God wakes me up in the middle of the night to pray for people. Mostly my writer friends. I consider is an honor to storm the gates on their behalf. At times I feel like a prayer stalker. I am privileged to see some of the results of my obedient prayer. I rejoice with God, knowing He called me to be an intercessor for my writing family. Words are powerful and prayer is powerful. When we put the two together their will be nothing to stop us.
ReplyDeleteHey Cherrilynn, We need more people like you who are prayer warriors. Keep on prayer stalking and walking for your writer friends. We all need you. Thanks for the comment. Have a wonderful week. Brenda
DeleteThis is so true. We never know what circumstances people are going through when we post a blog, write a poem, short story, novel, etc. However, God does! Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteexactly, Darlene! i recently participated in a pay it forward poem sharing. i felt compelled to share (one i wrote 27 years ago) Your Light in Me, not knowing how it would be received. rather than someone who disregarded it, or worse, castigated me for a "God poem" i got an email thanking me and telling me it was exactly what the person needed!
Deleteonly God!!!
Thanks Darlene for your comment and for sharing it on Facebook yesterday. Have a great week. Brenda
DeleteHey Robin, Keep allowing God to use your words. You never know who is going to need to be encouraged that day. Blessings to you. Brenda
DeleteYeah, Brenda, excellent book on prayer. Another one that really impacted me is Dr. Larry Crabb's "The Papa Prayer." Published 11 years ago but I discovered it last year via a friend ... I need to bring prayer into my everyday life.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good words.
Thanks Sam. I will have to look up that book too. Thanks for letting us know. Have a great week. Brenda
DeleteThanks Brenda for the encouraging article.
ReplyDeleteYour welcome. Thanks for taking the time to read it. Blessings to you. Brenda
DeleteWhat an encouragement you are, Brenda! Yes, we are so privileged to be able to be used by God through our words! I am ever so grateful. I would love to learn more about your group of Christian writers. Thanks for your post!
ReplyDelete