Dear Writer, I hope you had a beautiful week and considered who God is and how that affects you as His writer! This week, we’re going to explore a natural outgrowth of knowing God. That outgrowth is prayer. Prayer is a critical part of partnering with God’s grace for your life.
You see, many times we’re tempted to think of grace as a gift God bestows only where He wills. However, He actually directs us to ask for His grace. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Therefore, let us approach the throne of grace with boldness to find mercy and grace to help in time of need.”
You see, above all, God desires a relationship with us. By requiring our “ask,” He leverages life’s difficulties to become a catalyst to know Him better. Plus, our reliance on Him in prayer creates space for Him to move in ways we never could.
But before we dive in, let’s look at some others whose reliance on prayer changed the outcome of nations…
Prayer in History
The Battle of Dunkirk is a tremendous example of seeking God’s grace through prayer. When Hitler suddenly overwhelmed the Allied forces in Belgium and France, 300,000 Allied soldiers needed sudden evacuation. The only path of escape was through the indefensible British channel. It was the perfect setup for a massacre.
Seeing their impossible situation, King George called a national day of prayer to seek God’s intervention to bring the men safely home. What followed was not just one miracle, but a series of miracles. As the people prayed, Hitler inexplicably halted his advance for three whole days. The weather turned foul and cloud cover hid the retreating troops from German air strikes, while the water of the treacherous channel became unnaturally still. And, nearly 850 civilian boatmen appeared to assist the depleted British navy. By the end of the evacuation, nearly 380,000 men had been saved.
You see, writer, God often calls us to impossible tasks. (You can see that in this post here “The Impossible Step.”) But when we actively seek His grace through prayer, He fills the gaps in miraculous ways. And He alone gets the glory.
Prayer in the Bible
Esther is another powerful example of partnering in prayer with God’s grace. When Esther learned of Haman’s plot against the Jews, she knew the danger of approaching King Xerxes to plead for their lives. So, she asked Mordecai to call all the Jews in Susa to join her and her maids in prayer and fasting to plead for God’s favor.
God not only answered those prayers for favor, but He also equipped Esther with wisdom, tact, and timing for her bold request. As a result, Haman was utterly destroyed. In the days that followed, God graced Mordecai and Esther to write Persian policy to undo Haman’s terrible decrees.
You see, writer, when we partner with God’s grace through proactive prayer, He is equips us to do things we never imagined as hearts are attuned to His wisdom and perspective.
Prayer in Life
I experienced the power of prayer the first year I ran the Experience Writing conference solo. Since I’d never run a conference alone before, I needed to know God’s heart and intentions for the venture. That year, I spent much time in earnest prayer, fasting, and seeking. Even so, as I reached the day of the conference, I turned to my husband and said what had become painfully obvious: “This will be the grace of God, or it will be nothing.”
To my utter delight and surprise, the grace of God filled the conference in a way it never had before. God more than answered my many prayers and met my utter need. And here’s the thing…
Prayer in Your Life
Learning to partner with God in prayer is really about realizing our complete dependence on Him—not just for the big things—but for all parts of our writing journey. It’s about learning to lean on Him, not because we are unwilling to act, but because we know, apart from Him, all our works are unfruitful. Let me show you…
- I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. – John 15:5-8
- If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. – James 1:5-8
- Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:14-16
You see, writer, our utter dependence on God—far from making us inactive—is designed to align our hearts with His. So we can ask with confidence. Then, asking boldly, we can courageously step into the impossible places He’s called us and see Him do the miraculous. And here’s the thing…
The greatest hindrance to prayerful action is the fear of hearing Him wrong. But the beautiful thing about God’s grace is that, when we truly trust and commit ourselves to Him, He teaches us and refines us along the way.
You see, God does not fear our mistakes. He leverages them to help us understand Him better and to fit us for His work. Just think of Abraham or David and the extreme kindness of God to these men who boldly asked! He has that same kindness towards us, too.
Where to Start with Prayer
So are you ready to more proactively seek God’s grace for your life in prayer? Here are some things to keep in mind….
- Ask. The Bible says we have not because we ask not. (James 4:3) It also says that he who asks, receives; he who seeks, finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8) So often we fear asking because we fear disappointment. But I can assure you, God will never disappoint. Even when the answers are different than hoped for, they are invaluable, because they bring clarity to our call and deeper understanding of His heart.
- Journal. Write down and date the things you are asking God for. When we write our prayers down, they become more concrete and specific in our own mind, and we’re more likely to recognize God’s answer when it comes. I can’t even count the number of times I almost missed answers to unwritten prayers because I didn’t recognize them at the time.
- Develop an Unoffendable Heart. As we journey with God, there will be moments when things go much differently than expected. Building our trust in God’s character and faithfulness is key to remaining on the path. You see, God leverages every delay for His greater purpose. Just as He did in Joseph’s unusual path to the throne. But like John the Baptist, sometimes adversity tempts us to question God’s word. Jesus answer to John then is true now, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of me.” An unoffendable heart keeps us moving forward with God.
- Learn to Discern. Learning to recognize the difference between God’s unique voice to us, our own thoughts, and the interference of the enemy is a key part of our growth. God speaks in so many ways, through His word, through His body, through life circumstances, and more. Our ability to recognize His voice is best sharpened through the active practice of prayer and forward motion. And here’s the thing…
It’s better to move forward in faith with an imperfect plan, than not to move at all. God loves when we move in trust, purposefully engaging Him in prayer throughout the process.
You see, our relationship with God works like many others. For instance, when we married our spouse, we might have thought we understood them, only to discover how little we knew! But through ongoing communication and life-on-life interaction, a healthy marriage becomes a journey of discovery that produces something altogether new and beautiful.
In the same way, we come to know God through ongoing communication and a deepening dependence on His grace that transforms our relationship with Him into something far beyond all we imagined. Just like the astounding evacuation of Dunkirk. Just like the divine reversal of Haman’s schemes. Just like the Experience Writing conference that’s still running today.
So I encourage you today, writer, if you’ve struggled to move forward in your writing journey, consider this. Perhaps you don’t need to try harder. (Though maybe you do!) Maybe you need to depend deeper on the great grace He affords us. Because here’s the wonderful thing: As you begin to actively ask for His grace and seek His wisdom, there is no end to where He is willing to take you. And your readers, too.
#grace #prayer #ask #miracles #EveryWriterWriting
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