Conference Prayers and Praises for Writers

By Julie Lavender @JLavenderwrites

With conference season upon us and Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference right around the corner, I’m ramping up my prayer time for those who’ll attend any number of great conferences over the next couple of months. Perhaps you’ll want to join me in lifting up fellow conferees in prayer for an exceptional time spent learning and growing as a writer and praises for the opportunity to gather as believers and writers to nurture our craft and continue on the path to publication.

Here are some of the verses that I like to pray over my writer and author friends, and please note that I sometimes change a word or two to include conferees, plural, or to adjust for a conference setting. I’ll include references for you to search for the Scripture in your favorite translation. 

Conference Prayers

Here’s a week’s worth of prayers to add to your quiet time as we approach conference season. Join me in conversation with the Lord to prepare for our time together, and please share below some of your favorite verses to use when praying for conferees.

• Open our eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions (Psalm 119:18). When we read and obey the instructions in your Word, God, help us share those truths in our writing, in fiction and nonfiction, so that out audience will draw nearer to you with everything we write. Help us gain wisdom and knowledge about writing from conference instructors so that we might better serve you. 

• God, help us set our gaze on the path before us. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, help us ignore life’s distractions (Proverbs 4:25) that hinder our writing and take our focus off the path you want us to take. 

• How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who publish peace, who bring good news of happiness, who publish salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reign.” (Isaiah 52:7). Thank you for my beautiful writing friends, Lord, whom I may only see a couple of times a year, but yet I hold close to my heart throughout the rest of the days. Thank you for their friendship, encouragement, and support. 

• Show us the right path, O Lord, point out the road for us to follow. Lead us by your truth and teach us, for you are the God who saves us. All day long, we put our hope in you (Psalm 25:4-5). With guidance from experienced writers, faculty, and the sessions we attend, show us what you’d have us write that will glorify you and bring praise to your name.

• Dear God, help us be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32) throughout our time at the conference. Sometimes, we can get discouraged if an appointment doesn’t go well; sometimes we’re weary from lack of sleep and brain-overload, and sometimes we’re just not at our best, but help us show true kindness and love to all those we come in contact with while attending a conference.

• God, help us remember that you did not give us a spirit of fear but of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7) Help us lean into your strength when we’re pitching ideas or sharing projects with others at the conference. 

• Lord, help us be generous to fellow conferees with words of kindness and encouragement and with wisdom about writing that we’ve gleaned along our own publishing journeys. Help us share with others what we’ve learned thus far along the path that you’ve laid out for us. Remind us often that your Word says in Proverbs 11:25, “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” 

What are some of your favorite verses to pray over yourself or others as you get ready for conference season? Please share below and join in the conversation.

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Author and journalist Julie Lavender looks forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones at upcoming writers’ conferences. She is the author of Children’s Bible Stories for Bedtime (Penguin Random House), 365 Ways to Love Your Child: Turning Little Moments into Lasting Memories (Revell/Baker), a forthcoming mom’s devotional from Penguin Random House, and two picture books from End Game Press and its imprint.