Dear Writer, I hope you had a good week and considered what it looks move out of “the shallows” in your writing life! This week, we’re going to look at one mindset that moves us from the shoreline into the deep. That mindset is one of holy agreement.
As believers, we often feel a unique call to write. However, once we receive that call, it’s tempting to feel it’s up to us to fulfill it. But here’s the thing. Whenever God speaks a word into our lives, directly or through scripture, we can place a demand on that word, through our prayers and actions. This may feel a little audacious. But that boldness is integral to partnering with God’s grace in our lives.
Wonder what on earth that might look like? We’ll show you! But first, let look at some real life examples of those whose demand on Heaven transformed lives and nations…
Holy Agreement in History
Benjamin Franklin is a powerful example of a man who placed a demand on Heaven. Franklin attended the contentious Continental Congress of 1787 that sought to establish a constitution for America’s fledgling government. Representatives from every state fought bitterly for their own interests, until many were ready to forsake the venture.
At that moment, Franklin called the company to remember that God, who had miraculously delivered them in war, was no less necessary now in peace to help them build a great nation. Franklin proposed all subsequent meetings begin with a minister-led prayer.
Though the motion wasn’t formally adopted, Franklin’s call to petition God’s favor shifted the atmosphere from contention to collaboration. 81 days later, the Constitution we have today was drafted.
Holy Agreement in the Bible
Nehemiah is another amazing example of one who placed a demand on Heaven. When Nehemiah learned of Jerusalem’s ruinous state, he immediately came God in humble repentance. But Nehemiah also made a bold request. Remembering God’s promise of restoration, Nehemiah petitioned God to keep His promise and to grant him favor before the king.
God swiftly answered Nehemiah’s prayer. As a result, the king provided all Nehemiah needed to journey to Jerusalem and restore the wall.
You see, writer, if we know God’s promises, we need not be ashamed of asking Him to keep them.
Holy Agreement in Life
When I was just five years old, my mother discovered I was badly farsighted. The eye doctor gave me a pair of coke-bottle thick glasses to help me stop running into walls. I hated those glasses with a passion, but when I complained, Mom simply said, “If you don’t like them, pray and ask Jesus to heal you.”
For months, I prayed every day, until my glasses began to bother me. When my mother took me back to the eye doctor, my prescription had lessened dramatically. But, I wasn’t happy with thinner glasses. I wanted NO glasses. So, I kept praying. A few weeks later, my new glasses began to bother. My mother said, “Just put them in a drawer. You’re probably healed.”
Over 20 years later, I finally visited an eye doctor only to find I have 20/20 vision. But ever since I put the glasses away, God grew a passion in me to see other people receive healing as well. That passion sparked the prayer ministry I have today.
Holy Agreement in Your Life
You see, writer, placing a demand on heaven is not about harassing God to fulfill our desires. It’s about placing your confident expectation on those things He’s already promised to do. So much so that it fuels your prayers and actions. And here’s the thing…
There are many things God desires to do in our lives. But he often waits for us our desire to grow and cause us to press in to receive it. Let me prove it to you…
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- …You have not because you ask not. – James 4:2b
- …Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. – Luke 11:5-10
- And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” – Luke 18:6-8
You see, writer, there is sometimes a vigor—almost an impudence—God desires to see in us when it comes to His promises. Why? When we fully engage our heart in praying for those promises, it shows that we truly and unswervingly who He is. Also, the act of persistent prayer prepares and aligns our hearts to receive what He wants to give.
Where to Start with Holy Agreement
So are you ready to press into God’s promises for your writing journey? Here are some things to keep in mind…
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- What did God say? It’s no good trying to press into words that don’t apply to or are not yours. Take time to prayerfully recollect what God has said to you and through His word about your call to write. If the words personal rather than scriptural, ask God to confirm them with scriptures. Write these words and scriptures down in somewhere you can refer to and pray over them regularly.
- What do you say? Once you’ve written God’s call, prayerfully examine your current life. Are there areas where your faith is weak regarding God’s call? There is no shame if your answer is “yes!” One perfectly acceptable prayer to begin praying over your call to write is “God, I believe! Please, help my unbelief!” Begin asking Him daily to fulfill His word. You see, God is not offended by these reminders. Not because He’s forgotten, but because He knows that when we remind Him, it reminds us of who He is and all He intends to do.
- What do you see? As you begin to ask God to fulfill His word, dream of what it might look like to the promise fulfilled. Sometimes, we have a hard time leaning into God’s promise, because we struggle to grasp what that promise will look like. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Without vision, the people casts off restraint.” Spend some time regularly dreaming and journaling God’s plans for you.
- What are you doing? Once you engage in this process, you will likely begin to identify steps you can take toward God’s promise. I encourage you to begin taking those steps! Because here’s the thing…
Putting a demand on Heaven is really about bringing your heart, mind, actions, and life into holy agreement with what God wants to do. It’s “raising up every valley, laying low every mountain, and making the crooked places straight…” to create a level path for His plans to unfold.
Does that mean there won’t be bumps and difficulties? Of course not. But it means we lean into Him to navigate those difficulties. When we place our expectation on God and His promises, we begin to actively prepare for and partner with Him to see them come to pass. Just as Franklin expectation of God’s help transformed the Congressional Convention. Just as Nehemiah’s expectation of God’s favor restored the safety and identity of Jerusalem. Just as my trust in God paved the way for miracles—for me and others.
If you’ll notice, each of these requests was a little audacious. But the results changed the lives of peoples and nations. You see, when God gives a promise, it’s because He wants to demonstrate who He is to us and to the world. You see, two things bring God glory. Answered prayer. And finishing the work He’s given us to do. Putting a demand on Heaven enables both.It’s partnering with Him to see His Kingdom come and His will done on earth as it is in Heaven.
So writer, if you have a dream you’ve been waiting for, I encourage you to re-engage your heart and earnestly ask God to see His will accomplished in your life. It’s as we lean into Him with that confident expectation, He fits our lives and words for His glory shine through.
#prayer #expectation #alignment #glory #EveryWriterWriting
