The Initial Prayer

My fingers rested on my keyboard. The idea for a new story rested in my head.

As I pondered how to begin this new story, my internal editor kept buzzing. “Make sure it’s a great sentence. It’s got to have a great hook. Bring in excitement right away!”

The internal editor is helpful when revising; not so much when drafting. While there are many tricks that help stave off the internal editor—like word play, reading books, and making word lists—there is one thing that always helps.

Prayer. 

I know. It sounds cliché. Of course we pray. We’re Christian writers. I try to remember to pray before I write. Yet the last couple of weeks, my prayers felt routine. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but for me, I wasn’t truly connecting with my Creator.

A Second Attempt

Lord, I need Your help to get the internal editor to go away. I need to write something good. I need this draft to be decent. 

And there it was—me asking the Lord to bless my performance. It was slightly out of focus and not a two-way communication. 

Lord, help me listen. What’s on Your heart today? 

I didn’t hear anything specific in the moment, but over the next couple of weeks, promptings came. Someone suggested that we pray for the publishers and the industry. Why yes, of course! Lord, be with those publishing words that honor You and tell Your story. Bless them with resources. Bring them joy. Bless the work of their hands. Lift them up when they are weary. 

Praying for the industry, agents, and publishers—big, small, independent—helps me see a bigger picture. It helps me think of myself as part of a team, which is great because we need one another on this writing journey.  My critique partners have been a lifeline for me. They’ve encouraged me. They’ve made suggestions to make my writing stronger. And I’m happy to be part of their journey, too. Some of us pray together—and that is a gift! 

A New Component for Me

Praying over our own writing and asking God to help us speak with clarity and share His heart is helpful. But recently, I realized I’d been missing a key component…

Asking others to pray for my writing. 

I attended an online writing class last month and one of the speakers encouraged writers to ask a few trusted people to cover them in prayer, like a prayer team. We were reminded that writing is a Kingdom act and having prayer support is important. The speaker said they even knew some people that sent out weekly prayer requests to the people praying for their writing and gave weekly updates on what they’d accomplished and/or roadblocks they’d encountered. I haven’t done any weekly reports, but I’m asking a couple of people to pray for me and my writing. Galatians 6:2 says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” 

Writing may seem like an isolated act, but prayer helps us realize that we are never alone and that we are part of a greater team.

Lord,
We praise You as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank You for the gift of words. We ask that You guide our thoughts, ideas, and even sentence structures as we create stories to bless children and their families. Give us strength and energy when we feel depleted. Help us share our joy when we are excited. Thank Your for allowing us to be part of a team. Bless each of our teammates as they write. Be with the industry, agents, publishers, and online sources that help us share our words with others. May Your light and life guide us in all we do. Thank You for being with us on this creativity adventure! Amen. 

Marci Whitehurst is a former educator, theater and speech coach, a children’s author, rancher’s wife, and mother of three who lives on a cattle ranch in Montana. Her passion is sharing God’s light and life through stories, poems, and blog posts. She can be reached through her website at www.marciwhitehurst.com. Find her on Substack at MarciWhitehurst and on Instagram marci_whitehurst.