Have You Invited God into Your Writing?

by Tammy Karasek @TickledPinkTam

Happy Resurrection Day! As believers all over the world celebrate the Risen Jesus, I have a question specifically for you, writers. When you sit down to write, do you ask God to guide your thoughts and words as you begin—or do you write, then ask Him to bless your work?

Years ago, a fellow writer shared with our writing group some interesting facts she’d come across in a recently read book. Often our devotions or book reports shared in our meetings stick with me for a few days as I keep going over them in my mind. But this time, something that was shared has impacted me greatly. It’s often brought to mind to this day. 

As Christian writers we should pray before we start a new project asking God to give us the words he’d have us share. Again, we ought to pray as we sit down to actually do the writing of said project. We know we’ve been called to write and want to walk in that obedience. Our intentions are to write what we feel God leading us to do. 

And then we get to the business of writing on our terms, our schedule and eventually our thoughts and words. 

Maybe on the first day we begin the project we will pray. Soon, we think of deadlines and our schedules and hurry into our writing without our pause for prayer first. We can inadvertently in our haste to complete the project do it our own way. I believe someone named Frank sang about doing it my way. I can’t answer for you, but I can honestly say that is me more than I like to admit. Doing it my way. 

However, since that particular writing group meeting, I’ve approached my writing in a much different way. Anyone heard of conviction? Try as I might, I am guilty for not inviting God into my writing time. (And I wonder why I have writer’s block at times.) Now, I have two sets of letters on my screen in bright pink (of course!) post-its. One on the top left and one on the top right. The one on the left is TLK/JJ. The one on the right is TLK/SDG. 

Initials to remind me whose help I need and who receives all the credit. 

Oh, let me tell you about those initials, they do make me excited and I can’t wait for you to hear about them. You’ve probably heard of someone named Johann Sebastian Bach. What I never knew about Mr. Bach was he had a strong faith. So much so, no matter whom he was writing his music for he would start composing by petitioning Christ to help him with it. Not only requesting the Lord’s help before he began—once done, he would give the credit to God. 

Boom—mind blown. Yours, too?

At the beginning of his musical compositions, it has been said that Mr. Bach would sometimes write the letters JJ for Jesu juva—Latin for Jesus, help. Then he would begin. 

Once done, he would add the initials SDG, Soli Deo Gloria, at the end which he meant that all of his work was done for the glory of God alone.

It was these simplistic prayers of Johann Sebastian Bach that impacted me to create the habit of saying out loud Jesus help as I reach over to turn on my computer to work. Then to bookend my work time to be ended with Soli Deo Gloria, for the glory of you alone, God.

I pray this will encourage you to invite God into your writing and cover your time with the help of Jesus. Then once your session is done you remember who gets the glory . . . 

Soli Deo Gloria.

What about you, sweet writer friend? Do you invite God into your writing as you sit down to each writing session? Then for all the words you’ve added to your word count for the day, do you give HIM all the glory? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.

He is Risen!

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Have You Invited God into Your Writing? from @TickledPinkTam  on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and give them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out! A writer of Romance—with a splash of sass. She’s also The Launch Team Geek helping authors launch their books and also a Virtual Assistant for several best-selling authors. Don't miss her recent book, LAUNCH THAT BOOK, just released in November. 

Her work was also published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. She’s also the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President and current Vice-President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. She’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation Blog, Novel Academy, MBT Monday Devotions, The Write Editing and more. Connect with Tammy at HTTPS://WWW.TAMMYKARASEK.COM.