Writing is a spiritual discipline for me now. I know this. I know this, because, I feel a sense of guilt when I don’t write. Not a condemnation kind of guilt. That’s not God’s style. Rather, the kind of guilt you feel when you know you aren’t doing what God wants you to do in your life at this given moment. I mean, obviously, I haven’t felt a GREAT DEAL of guilt about it in the past given my lengthy sabbaticals since kid three arrived. Because, clearly, I’ve been able to still eat with this kind of guilt.
I guess it’s kind of like physical exercise. You don’t always want to do it, but after you do, you feel so much better. So, I’ve been thinking about ways to organize my writing time. I figure if I make plans to write, I will. Just like everything else in life. We do what we make the time to do. So, while, I am reading other people’s material and advice on how to help writing schedule, I thought I’d share with you how I make time to pray for people. Or better yet, how I remember to pray for people and their specific needs.
When I someone asks me to pray for them, or if I commit to pray for someone, I pray for them the moment they ask. The very moment. Even if I’m in their presence, I make a conscious choice to pray silently right then and there. If I read on Facebook or Twitter or receive an email that someone needs prayer, I pray immediately. I don’t wait. Because, then, I will surely forget. But, once I pray that one time, something clicks. And, that need someone has stays with me. That need will continue to flow through my mind as the days and weeks come and go. Then, whenever I think about that person, I pray for them.
So, if you ask me, in person, to pray for you, and you suddenly think I’ve exited the planet, I’m still here. It’s just my thing. It seals that need into my memory bank.
Now, suddenly, I feel very much like the geek prayer warrior. Which brings up another factoid about me. I never title my blog posts until I’m half-way through writing it. It’s at this point in my post I’ve decided to name it “Geek Prayer Warrior.”
And, the little snippet above has nothing to do with this post. Of course.
So, the next time someone asks you to pray for them, try my little trick. Heck, it may not work for ya. I’m just sayin’. Try it. I have learned the more I think about other people, the more I pray for them. And, the more I pray for other people, the less I think of myself. And, the less I think of myself, the more I think on Him. And, the more I think on Him, the more He becomes center.
And, well, everything is better when He is center.
Amen?
Amen???
Thank you. A-MEN.
I do the EXACT same thing. 😉 Kids.
I have also made this a practice and you are right, it seals it in my thoughts!
Hey Friend! I love your writing. It always inspires me to do more for Christ in my own life. I can’t wait to someday hear all that God is pouring through you! For writing practices, Mark Batterson, wrote on his blog a few months ago about “taking his shoes off” because writing is a Holy thing. http://www.markbatterson.com/uncategorized/writing-rules/ – I’m totally adopting this rule myself!
I love that you are feeling drawn to a deeper commitment in the GIFT that God has given you. I’ve never really thought about this until just now, but I think it’s the “much is required” principle of to whom much is given.
I’ve been feeling it too, but words have a distant friend to me lately. I feel drawn to establishing this “order” in my writing along with many other areas, but especially prayer! Its not by accident that you mentioned Prayer and Writing in this blog together. When I look back at any given point in my where I felt successful, or felt as though I were on the “mountain” – it was when I was desperately committed to those two things! And when I’ve let those slip, everything else in life has slipped with it. Today you have opened wide a new understanding on “WHY” I should write. And WHY I should pray, Now. I need these Spiritual Disciplines too!
Thank you for challenging and inspiring me – as you always do!
*Pray for me…I will pray for you!*
“taking his shoes off because writing is holy.” Wow! Thank you for sharing that! And, your words of how prayer and writing both affect your spiritual life together has minstered straight to my heart. Thank YOU! I will pray for you, too, my friend. And, what I wouldn’t give to share a cup of coffee with you in real life one day.
Ya never know.