Dear Writer, I hope you had a beautiful week and considered what you might need to release in this season! This week, we’ll explore an oft overlooked aspect of partnering with God’s grace. That’s learning to steward a word from Him.
You see, sometimes when we receive a promise from God, we simply wait for Him to fulfill it. However most men and women of God have seen their God-given promises fulfilled by becoming active participants in the process. Even as they waited. The same is true of us today!
But before we dive in, let’s look at some others whose diligence to steward God’s promise positioned them for powerful impact…
Stewarding a Word in History
Rees Howells is a wonderful example of a man who learned to steward a word from God. God called Rees, as a young believer, to be an intercessor. Often God would give Rees a promise—whether for the healing of an individual or the salvation of certain souls—and Rees was tasked with persisting in prayer and specific actions to see that word come to pass.
After years of faithfulness, God called Rees to open a Bible college. When WWII broke out, God led Rees to have the college intercede for the war. Rees obeyed. He, his students, and his faculty prayed day after day for God to “bend” Hitler from his murderous designs. Those prayers were answered when Hitler signed the Munich Pact, the beginning of the end of his reign of terror.
You see, writer, sometimes we’re waiting for God to fulfill a promise to us, when God’s waiting for us to partner with Him in prayer. When we engage in consistent prayer over our promise, it creates space for God to impart insight and direction. Not only that, it attunes our hearts to the doors He is opening.
Stewarding a Word in the Bible
The Prophet Samuel is another wonderful example of stewarding a word from God. When Samuel anointed David to be king, it took years for that promise to come to pass. Samuel died before David finally rose to the throne. However, during that time of waiting, Samuel persisted in believing God’s word.
When David first fled Saul, he ran to Samuel. Saul immediately sent waves of troops to kill David, but Samuel did surrender David nor flee. Every wave of soldiers found Samuel fearlessly prophesying God’s word. Each time, the soldiers fell under God’s power and prophesied with him. At last, Saul came and also fell and prophesied! Samuel never wavered in his belief of God’s promise.
Part of learning to steward a word from God is learning to agree with what God told us. Especially in moments of fear and doubt. Learning to steward a Word begins with developing a deep trust that God is using every situation for our good and to accomplish His purposes.
Stewarding a Word in Life
I learned to steward a word from as I wrote my first two novels. From the start, I knew God had given me a special call to write this particular story. Though I didn’t know all the story entailed, I wrote wholeheartedly for nine months until the first draft was done. But as I began revisions, the path grew rocky. At many points, there was temptation to assume I’d already failed.
During the editorial phase, I began to feel pressure to change my original story. I even began to make those changes! At last, God led me into a time of prayer and fasting to reorient my heart to correctly understand and apply the feedback I’d received. My husband and a few others were also key voices He used to guide me to the finish line.
You see, writer, sometimes we fail to move forward because we’re waiting for all the details to fall in place. We want all our questions to be answered. But here’s the thing…
Stewarding a Word in Your Life
God often instructs us as we go. If He answered all questions from the start, it would paralyze most of us. Instead, He uses the discovery process to grow our trust in Him. And here’s the thing we often forget…
Correction is not bad in God’s eyes. It’s a normal part of the growth process. We have to move in order to grow. We have to trust. We have to make mistakes. And this is the way it is with almost every promise in life. Let me prove it to you…
- I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. – Psalm 32:8
- The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. – Psalm 37:23
- Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6
- But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. – Proverbs 4:18
You see, writer, learning to steward a word is learning to move forward in prayerful trust. When we do, God gives instruction—and sometimes correction—to guide us along His path for us.
Where to Start with Stewarding a Word
So are you ready to begin stewarding God’s promise to you? Here are some things to keep in mind…
- Write It. Write down God’s call or promise to you. Most unfulfilled promises have simply been forgotten under the press and busyness of life. Taking time to write the promises down and to review them daily is an important first step in stewarding a word from God.
- Say It. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word! Pray regularly over your God-given promises. Speak them out loud to yourself! This builds up your faith and positions your heart to receive God’s wisdom. Plus, it attunes you to recognize the opportunities and open doors He brings your way!
- Guard It. Sometimes we talk ourselves out of God’s promise through insecurity or doubts. Part of walking toward a promise from God is learning to lay those fears and doubts at the feet of Jesus. Practice keeping your mind on what God has said. Look up scriptures to build yourself up where your confidence is weak or life seems contrary. (Romans 4:20) Developing this mindset takes practice, time, and patience as you learn to think about yourself and your life as God does.
- Be Accountable. This may seem counter-intuitive, but one of the most important steps I’ve ever taken in walking out God’s promises for me is to engage in community. Prayerfully consider who God has given you to walk with in this season. Then, begin to share your journey with them. Ask for prayer, keep them updated on your progress, and be sure to lift them up in prayer, too. Because here’s the thing…
We will never see the promises God’s given us fulfilled apart from active engagement with Him and with His body.
In fact, if you’ll notice, Rees Howells didn’t pray to end World War II alone but wit the students and staff of his Bible College. If you read 1 Samuel 19:18-24, you’ll see Samuel didn’t prophesy alone but was surrounded by other prophets declaring the word of God with him. In my own journey, I would have foundered if not for the input of my husband and key writing and non-writing friends. And here’s the thing…
As Rees, Samuel, and I faithfully prayed and moved forward in what we understood of God’s word, in context of the community He’d given us, God used our obedience to shape our lives, the lives of others, and even nations. And He will do the same with you, too!
So if you have a promise from God that’s been on hold, I encourage you today to begin actively stewarding that word through prayer and practical action. As you do, you never know what worlds God intends to create and to shape through you.
#faith #prayer #action #EveryWriterWriting
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