by Lori Hatcher @LoriHatcher2
For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? 1 Corinthians 4:7
Father, thank you for the writing opportunities you’ve given me. Thank you for article ideas, devotional thoughts, and book concepts. Thank you for the joy of writing. Your Word tells me “every good and perfect gift comes from above,” so I know these publishing treasures come from you.
You remind me, “[s]he who has been given a trust must prove faithful.” Make me faithful, Lord. Help me not waste a moment, an idea, or an opportunity.
You encourage us not to despise the day of small beginnings, but I confess, Lord, how quickly I forget how inexperienced I was and how far you’ve brought me. Remind me often of my awful prose, awkward professional moments, and breaches of protocol.
Give me a kind and tender heart toward new writers, for I was one not long ago. Help me overlook their mistakes, because I’ve made the same errors—and worse. Help me be quick to instruct instead of swift to criticize. When I teach, help me teach with a spirit of humility.
Lord, you resist the proud but give grace to the humble. Keep me humble. I never want you to resist me. When I’m tempted to look down from my lofty peak of publishing accomplishment, help me see the footprints of those who helped carry me up the trail.
Remind me of the kind mentors who took me under their wing every step of the way. Place in me a similar heart to help those who need guidance and instruction. Help me never think I’m too busy, too important, or too far up the publishing chain to give back to the writing community—and to the individual writers you’ve placed in my life. In the great cloud of witnesses, show me the faces of editors, agents, and publishing houses that took a risk and gave me a chance. Bless ‘em, Lord.
When I’m tempted to pat myself on the back, may the parable of the rich man stop me. Instead of building bigger barns, show me how to give my writing wealth away. Whatever skill, knowledge, leads, connections, or insight you’ve blessed me with, let me share it with abandon. Give me opportunities to “train my competition,” as Vonda Skelton always said. Use me as a channel, not a reservoir.
As John the Baptist said of Jesus and himself, “[You] must increase, and I must decrease.” May this be true in my life, today and every day.
TWEETABLE
A Seasoned Writer's Prayer - @LoriHatcher2 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)
A wonderful reminder of a prayer every Christian writer should pray in sincerity and truth. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome, friend. May God be glorified in you today :)
DeleteAmen dear friend. And thank you, as I thank God, for your being a mentor to me. I pray I can one day learn with the same humility in which you teach. One lesson you've taught me my sweet friend, is this. It's not the number of books I write or sell, it's the number of lives that are touched by God through them that matters. God's blessings and thank you for sharing your heart with us all.
ReplyDeleteI'd go one step further, J.D., and propose that it's not even the number of lives that are touched by our writing, although that's important, because we want to make as big an impact for God's glory as we can. I'm learning that it's the tender moments when one reader, just one, reaches out to say that something I wrote made them understand or love God more, that I find the greatest satisfaction. In my prayer closet, I give God a high five and smile. He doesn't need our words to accomplish anything, but, wonder of wonder, he chooses to use us. Amazing grace. What a privilege.
DeleteI feel so much better when I'm generous, rather than hoarding what I have, whether it's money, time, or experience.
ReplyDeleteI agree, JPC Allen. So counter-intuitive, yet so, well, GOD. This knowledge can chart a whole different course for our lives, for sure.
DeleteWow, this is a beautiful prayer, Lori!!!
ReplyDeleteI needed to talk to the Lord about this this week, Julie. Thanks for making it a three-way conversation:)
DeleteI love this! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome, friend. Blessings to you this good day!
DeleteAmen. I thank God for His guidance in my writing. I thank Him for giving me words to share. I pray those words will bring others closer to Him.
ReplyDeleteAnd I echo your prayer, Melissa. May God glorify himself through you and your writing today. #allHimnome
DeleteWhenever I feel like I'm about to take credit for something, I always remind myself that I'm a dirt bag (literally soil!) without His breath in me. lol Helps me give credit where credit is due Genesis 2:7 God loves me through you, hope you feel the love right back! <3
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, I LOVE THIS, Christina. YESSSSS. Like Job said, "My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you. I repent in dust and ashes." I suspect the ashes he referred to were very similar to the dirt from which he'd come. Lord, make us always mindful of how big you are and how small we are. Amen.
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