Episode 87: Habakkuk 2:-3

Episode 87: Habakkuk 2:2-3 – Peace Prayers

Praying Habakkuk 2:2-3
  1. Episode 87: Habakkuk 2:2-3
  2. Episode 86: Philippians 1:3-8
  3. Episode 85: Psalm 77:1-19
  4. Episode 84: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
  5. Episode 83: John 14:26-27

Today’s verse is Habakkuk 2:2-3

And the Lord answered me:

“Write the vision;
    make it plain on tablets,
    so he may run who reads it.
For still the vision awaits its appointed time;
    it hastens to the end—it will not lie.
If it seems slow, wait for it;
    it will surely come; it will not delay.”

Let’s pray together.

LORD, is the whole human race made out of impatience? It seems so sometimes. It feels that way to my restless bones, my fingers twitching and my feet tapping, my anxiety levels rising the longer I am kept waiting. I live in an act-now, convenience-based, seconds-is-too-long culture. Everywhere around me are people rushing, complaining, pushing, grabbing, shouting. More. More. Now. Gimmeee. And the loudest of all is me.

I pray, God, You do give us the things we need now. The money to pay the bill sitting in front of us, the food to feed our children for dinner, the approval for the apartment to lease, the doctor’s appointment that could save our lives. There are things we do need and You know what they are. I pray that You will provide. I pray that You see our need and You answer our call.

But, Jesus, there are so many things that I grasp for, that I don’t really need. I am always thinking about myself, what it is that I deserve. What’s mine? How am I being inconvenienced? What’s taking up my time? What’s eating my money? How can I get ahead of everyone else? How can I beat everyone else there?

Perhaps this simple idea that nothing I own actually belongs to me (including my time) is too strange and foreign, too insulting to my high thoughts of myself or to my comfort level. But it is a truth that I cannot ignore. I pray it is one You place before me on a regular basis so that it becomes more ingrained in my bones than the deep-seated need to come first and to have all that I desire at my fingertips. I don’t want to treat you as a cosmic power at my beck and call, and the first step, is realizing that I am Your creature. I am here by Your will.

LORD, there are deep desires within us, desires placed by You, I think. We are designed for things, generally and specifically. We may long for a spouse, children, a promotion, a place of our own, to visit somewhere, or do something. And these desires are not bad. We want to create and explore and build and connect. These are good things, Jesus. So foster them in us, help us yearn for what You’ve created us for. Complete the good works You have begun. Show us the way to them. Help us get there. Provide all we need to do them, to acquire them, to nurture them.

But build within us patience and trust. Patience to wait for whatever Your timing is. And trust to know that You are good and that we will not want it any other way. Nothing is perfect apart from You, God. Your visions are strong and given at the right time. They come to fulfillment and they grow and they are planted. They do not tarry and they do not die. You are faithful to do as You said You would do. Help us to wait for the vision, though it may seem to delay. Help us to know that it is not late. We have all we need in this moment. The rest comes at Your command and Your good will.

We trust You, God. Help us to trust You more. Help us to know grace and extend it. Help us be patient. Grow in us a love of the slow things, the ability to truly know and have peace and experience Your goodness. And let us not run, but let us wait. Make plain to us Your way and help us to walk in it.

I pray this in the faithful and enduring name of Jesus. Amen.

Advertisement

Episode 86: Philippians 1:3-8

Episode 87: Habakkuk 2:2-3 – Peace Prayers

Praying Habakkuk 2:2-3
  1. Episode 87: Habakkuk 2:2-3
  2. Episode 86: Philippians 1:3-8
  3. Episode 85: Psalm 77:1-19
  4. Episode 84: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
  5. Episode 83: John 14:26-27

Today’s verse is Philippians 1:3-8

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Let’s pray together.

Father, I bring before You my friends today. I ask that You love and guide them in all truth. Comfort them in Your mercy and pour out Your grace upon them. Help them to know and understand Your way and the way You feel toward them. May they be wrapped in Your everlasting arms of peace.

Jesus, bring my friends to my mind often. I pray that I am always thinking of them and praying for them. Help me to remember them and their woes and joys and present them to You. I pray that my thoughts are directed outward, knowing that praying for the good of others helps shape me into the person You created me to be. I pray that I am selfless and kind and generous and a stalwart support to those I love. And mostly may I be so because I depend on You to be all that they need.

Thank You for the gift my friends are. Thank You for the support and love and generosity they pour out on me. I pray that whenever I feel lonely or neglected or unsupported that You remind me of all I have been given, of all You have given me. Of who You have given me. I pray that I may know their worth and I may appreciate it and I may help them to see just how important they are and how much they do and are.

I pray that You be with them in their lives. Whatever is going on, help them to draw close to You. I know You are working in them. You love them and have plans for them. I pray You do bring Your good works to completion. Each day a little more. Each day a step closer. Each day, more truth and more love revealed. Each day, a bit nearer to the most glorious version of themselves. Only You can bring this about, LORD, so be the workman You are and continue the good work, I pray.

Let us work together for Your glory. Let us bring about Your kingdom. Let us be Your hands and feet. Let us give to and help each other. Let’s be partners in the gospel. And let’s never forget that we are a body, that all of us are needed, and that we are given authority only in Your name. And that our gifts and our experience and skills and knowledge, they all come from You. And they are given to us so we can use them together. Help me weave together my life with those You have called and hold them close as fellow partakers of grace.

Whatever our condition, LORD, whatever our situation, whatever is happening in our external or internal circumstances, be our God. Be our grace. Help us to hold each other in our hearts and yearn for each other in the affection of Jesus and be there for each other in every way.

I pray this in Your good and Your giving name. Amen.

Episode 85: Psalm 77:1-19

Summary

Praying Psalm 77:1-19

Transcription

Today’s Scripture is Psalm 77:1-19

I’m going to do something a little different this week. I’m going to read this Psalm, almost in its entirety. Listen to it. And then I want you to pray it along with me. It is a powerful psalm and I feel it will resonate with a lot of people. Let it be your heart’s cry for whatever you are going through today.

Let’s pray together

I cry aloud to God,
    aloud to God, and He will hear me.
In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord;
    in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying;
    my soul refuses to be comforted.
When I remember God, I moan;
    when I meditate, my spirit faints.

You hold my eyelids open;
    I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I consider the days of old,
    the years long ago.
I said, “Let me remember my song in the night;
    let me meditate in my heart.”
    Then my spirit made a diligent search:
“Will the Lord spurn forever,
    and never again be favorable?
Has His steadfast love forever ceased?
    Are His promises at an end for all time?
Has God forgotten to be gracious?
    Has He in anger shut up His compassion?”

Then I said, “I will appeal to this,
    to the years of the right hand of the Most High.”

I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember Your wonders of old.
I will ponder all Your work,
    and meditate on Your mighty deeds.
Your way, O God, is holy.
    What god is great like our God?
You are the God who works wonders;
    You have made known Your might among the peoples.
You with Your arm redeemed Your people,
    the children of Jacob and Joseph.

When the waters saw You, O God,
    when the waters saw You, they were afraid;
    indeed, the deep trembled.
The clouds poured out water;
    the skies gave forth thunder;
    Your arrows flashed on every side.
The crash of Your thunder was in the whirlwind;
    Your lightnings lighted up the world;
    the earth trembled and shook.
Your way was through the sea,
    Your path through the great waters;
    yet Your footprints were unseen.

I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Episode 84: 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Summary

Praying 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Transcription

Today’s verse is 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Let’s pray together.

God, the world has lost heart. It’s fallen into despair, broken-down ruins, rubble amidst dust. We have lost faith. We do not understand eternity or glory. We are focused on the here and now, scrabbling for our next meal, desperately searching for truth in all the wrong places, and independently proud. We secretly know we cannot save ourselves, but we try anyway.

God, I don’t want to live that way. The entropy of time marches forward in everything I see around me. I feel it day by day in my own body. I struggle and claw to survive in a world that seems bent on tearing me apart and keeping me down. But I don’t want to live in a way that says I don’t need You. I don’t want to focus on the here and now.

Renew me, LORD. Renew my faith and help it to grow. Help me to develop an eternal mindset, a gaze that fixes itself on Your might and Your destiny. Help me to accept that I am a created being and that You have shaped me and formed me. What I know and see and feel is only temporary. Only You are forever. Please let me see that and yearn for it. May I live with that as my sustaining hope. I will see You.

When I am struggling and when I have to focus on what is happening here and now, let it not be an idol to me. Let it not be my mainstay. I pray that I live in this world to do Your will, to fulfill Your work, and to walk the path You have set out for me. You created me for a purpose. And it is good. I pray I will do it well. Give me a servant heart like that of Jesus. Help me to care for the needs of the desolate world I see around me.

But when I become heavy-hearted and in pain, Jesus, lift my eyes to You. My help comes from You, the Maker of heaven and earth. And whatever I deal with here is only a breath to You, is only a second to You, is not even these things because You are not bound by time as I am. What happens to me matters, but You are the framework of my future. My troubles are real, but they are light and momentary compared to the pleasure and happiness of eternity with You.

Help me to focus on You, focus on what is important, without neglecting the work You have for me. And may it give me hope to know that You are my Provider, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Forever. I look to You, Spirit and Truth, and I know that my life here is only temporary and fleeting. I can soar and exalt in my future, knowing it is lived in glory with You. You are Paradise and You are my Great Reward.

I am so grateful, Jesus, for Your sacrifice, and for the example You gave me. Help me to live as You did. Help me to honor my Father and to grow inwardly, being renewed in His love and in His grace. Shape me in the struggle, grow me in the grinding of hardship. I want to be who You created me to be. And I am so glad I am Yours.

I love You, my dear LORD. You are hope and You are light. Shine before me. Go before me.


I pray this in Your eternal and glorious name. Amen.

Episode 83: John 14:26-27

Summary

Praying John 14:26-27

Transcription

Today’s verse is John 14:26-27

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Let’s pray together.

Father, thank You for the Holy Spirit. Thank You that when You took Your Son back, You did not leave us bereft. You provided an ever-present helper for all our times of need. You wanted to comfort us and to remind us of Your truth. You wanted us to have Your power in the world and to be convicted of our sins. You gave us everything we could ever need.

Holy Spirit, thank You for coming. Thank You for being with us. Thank You that You help us with whatever we need. Thank You for whispering in our hearts, the glorious words of truth, and for reminding us when we sin, where our true loyalty lies. You are our Guide and our Friend. We are grateful for Your comfort and Your wisdom.

We know that we need these things. The world around us is confusing and loud and broken. We are daily assaulted with various forms of pleasure, pain, and so many other things. It’s so hard to know where to turn, what to do, what to say, what to think. But You influence our hearts and minds and You provide straight paths for us to follow. Help us to follow as we can’t do it on our own. We need You so badly. We need You to decide what is best for us. Help us to fall to our knees and submit our will to Yours.

We need You because we are tormented by the evil one. We need You because this world is fallen. We need You because we are lost. Please find us, comfort us, keep us safe, and remind us that You are our peace. Help us to remember we cannot control anyone else or how what they do affects us. But we can cling to You. Oh, never let us go, dear God. Surround us and bind us to Yourself. Let us feel Your presence. Let us be wrapped in Your peace.

We cannot understand Your peace, but we do not need to. We know that You give unconditionally and You give the best gifts. So help us to trust in Your peace, even as we struggle and go through hard times. Even when our loved ones hurt us and betray us. Even when war rages and division increases. Even when nothing seems to make sense. Even when we have lost more than we can ever bear. Even when disease and poverty stalks our lives. All of these things can sleep under the banner of Your peace. You are nothing like our enemy and nothing like the jagged cruelty of this world.

So give us rest and help us not to be afraid. Help our hearts be eased by Your peace and comfort. Be in our grief and our rage and our hurt and our fear. Wash these things away in the warm and gentle tide of Your love. Remind us of Your character and who You are and what You have done for us. Send us the Holy Spirit. Come and be among us. Fall like rain and imbue us with Your power. Help us to know truth and fight for it. And when we are troubled, help us to come to You first and only.

We pray this in the name of God. In His all-wise and peaceful name. Amen.

Episode 82: Isaiah 49:14-18

Summary

Praying Isaiah 49:14-18

Transcription

Today’s verse is Isaiah 49:14-18

But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me,
    the Lord has forgotten me.”

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands;
    your walls are ever before Me.
Your children hasten back,
    and those who laid you waste depart from you.
Lift up your eyes and look around;
    all your children gather and come to you.
As surely as I live,” declares the Lord,
    “you will wear them all as ornaments;
    you will put them on, like a bride.”

Let’s pray together.

I confess, LORD, often I think You have forsaken me. I think I am abandoned and forgotten, lost and alone and worthless. If that isn’t the case, then why does trouble surround me so? Why do I feel so broken and so grieved? Why do the lives of myself and all around me look so troubled? I lie in bed at night, chest tight and eyes swollen with weeping. I look to the future and it seems black and terrifying. I can’t feel You and I can’t remember You. My way to You has been blocked by monsters too terrible for me to fight.

But these words bring a new light to my eyes, a long-ago feeling stirring in my heart and mind, something I can almost name. No, I can name it. It’s hope. It’s a knowledge that I am found and worthy. It’s a knowledge that I am Your child. It’s being known and it’s being remembered and it’s being chosen.

Jesus, may these words be true in my life today. May this Scripture bring me forged-in-fire and indestructible hope. Help me to believe them with all my heart and to hold on to them with every bit of strength I have left. Bring them to my mind in the watches of the night. Remind me of who You are to me when everything else tells me that I don’t know You and You have left me behind. Show me how to trust in You and Your words and Your character.

Remind me, God, that You are my Father. You are a parent who watches over their child, who constantly cares for them, whose only thought is for them, who knows that they must give their all for the betterment of this tender being under their wing. You are the one who gave me life and You will not take it from me. You will nurture it and guide it and provide for it.

Jesus, You are the example of this. You proved love forever and for all time on the cross. You gave Yourself as a sacrifice for my sin. You proclaimed to the world and all of eternity that I am Yours and that You love me. The blood and the pain that wrote my name on Your hands stands the test. You have true love and You have it for me. I am so grateful.

And so I know that there is goodness and there is joy and there is peace available. I know that even if all seems to be fraught with danger and despair, that You are still there. You are reaching for me, ever reaching, never-ceasing, constantly brimming with love and affection for me. And for all Your children.

Bring back the lost, the prodigals; draw them home. Let all who abandoned their faith remember the first love of their youth. Let all who have never known You, be grafted into the loving tendrils of your heart-tree. Reach out and wrap around them, compelling them with kindness, mercy, and grace. Let them see with eyes clear and free from deception. Let them look and know where their help comes. Bring back Your children to You, dearest Father.

And let us rejoice together. Let us be a family. Let us belong together and to You. Let us be Yours and bring glory and honor to Your name. Let us all be as the brilliant bride, shining with love and beautiful in raiment and sure in the solidity of her relationship with You. We do not have to be lost. We can be found. We can be with the lover of our souls. And we will never be forsaken. We will never be lost. We will never be forgotten.

Bind these words into my heart and mind, dear LORD. Please help me to cleave myself to them and never throw them away or let them fall to the wayside. Be my all in all. And show me Your love.

I pray this in the constant and abiding name of Jesus. Amen.

Episode 81: 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Summary

Praying 1 Timothy 2:1-4

Transcription

Today’s verse is 1 Timothy 2:1-4

 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Let’s pray together.

Father, I am thinking about prayer today and how it is so much more than talking with You. Yes, it is that. It is wonderfully that. Prayer can be simple and fun and light and as easy as talking to a friend. But I know that You have also fashioned prayer into a weapon and a tool and a way for us to partner with You in the kingdom work You have set out for us to do. So I pray I will remember that and I will not shirk from it when You have it for me.

I like, God, that You ask me to pray for everyone and then for individuals. But when I pray for everyone, I partake in something so much bigger than myself. I am reminded that I am part of a whole collective in the human race and what we do and how we live and everything about us has an effect on each other. When I pray for all people, for kings, for those in authority, I pray for people who impact my world, the people I love, and what happens in my times. Even for far off places and events, I am still involved and I still have a say, because I can pray.

So, Jesus, remind me to pray and teach me how to pray. Teach me to be thoughtful and mindful of Your will. Help me to know what is in the hearts and minds of my fellow men and help me to surrender it to Your will. Give me the words, Holy Spirit, pray and intercede through me with words I may not even understand. But help me to be as effective as possible, in obedience to You, and praying with the authority You have given me on earth.

Jesus, I pray for godliness and holiness. I pray for peaceful and quiet lives. I pray that those who rule and reign make godly decisions, in obedience to You. I pray they know Your truth and that they live it and help make it a reality for those they serve. I pray that integrity and wisdom and discernment would prevail in all governments and leadership. Please, LORD, remove evil and dishonesty and control and fear and ineptitude from our governing people. Help us on this earth to follow You and to only put people into authority who will follow You.

I want to please You, God. I want to know that Your truth is being acknowledged, that I savor it and relish it and follow it. I pray that You would save us all. Please help this whole world to come to a knowledge that You are real and You are good and You are our Creator and King. I pray that the world will worship You in humble adoration. I pray that no one is left behind, that no one turns from You. I pray that You unstop ears and soften hearts and open eyes and breathe Your word of truth into every soul. May the Holy Spirit be unhindered in His work. Please undeceive the lost and the abandoned and the bound. Please release people who don’t know You from the grips of the devil. I pray for salvation today. I pray for truth to prevail.

Jesus, I know You are in control. I know You have never been surprised by what happens. I know You do not live in time. But I do. The people I love do. We don’t know the future and the future is looming and scary. Please help me to trust in You. Please help me to realize I can’t live my life on my own, according to my own desires. What I’ve learned through my life will never cut it. I have to have You as my constant guide and help.

Please, Father, help me to live a good and pleasing life, one that honors You. May others see that and acknowledge the truth that I have been with You. And may they want what I have. May all I am be used in service for You, a witness and testimony to Your greatness. Save people through me, LORD. Use me. Continue to use me. And help me to pray. Help me to pray Your words, Your desires, Your will into the world.

I pray this in Your name, Jesus. The highest name of all. Amen.

Episode 80: Hosea 3:6

Summary

Praying Hosea 3:6

Transcription

Today’s verse is Hosea 3:6

Let us acknowledge the Lord;
    let us press on to acknowledge Him.
As surely as the sun rises,
    He will appear;
He will come to us like the winter rains,
    like the spring rains that water the earth.

Let’s pray together.

Jesus, I confess that I don’t acknowledge You enough. I spend my days and time thinking of anything and everyone other than you. Especially myself. I am so focused on what I can do, that I forget who You are and what You’ve done. So today, I acknowledge Your Presence, Your Power, Your Perfection, Your Perseverance, Your Patience, and Your Peace.

Remind me daily because I forget so easily. Help me to see what is so clear. Remove the blinders from my eyes and the fear from my heart. I pray nothing is more important to me than You. I want to see You and know You are God. Help me to be still before You. Please help me to give You the praise You deserve. Help me to worship You with every breath in my body, every action I take, every word I speak, every thought I think. You are all. And today I am intentional in my understanding of that and I honor You for it.

Help me to think of You in the morning. Let my first experience of the day be of You and then may I hold tightly to You the whole day through. Jesus, be my everything. Show me who You are in my weeping and laughing, my celebrating and grieving, my inner self and my outward actions, my day-to-day minutiae and my splendid frivolity. Yes, be my everything and show me who You are. Reveal Yourself to me. I want to see Your glory. Hide me in the cleft, but do not let another moment pass by without Your Spirit washing over me.

Washing over me like the spring and winter rains, like the renewing of the earth and the putting of it to bed. From sunrise to sunset, from each season, You are the Refresher and Reviver of the world. And let it be so for me. I want to be watered with You, Holy Spirit. I want to be cleansed by You, Jesus. I want to be realized as the fullest person I can be, Father. So please, stay with me, send me the times of refreshing. And may I fully rejoice in them and give You all the praise. I love You, LORD. I am thankful for You. I worship You for all Your majesty. I am in awe of Your wonder. You are more than I could ever want or need. Thank You for all Your blessings and help me to appreciate them even when times are hard and I can’t see Your face as well as I would like to.

I offer You my most humble thanks, dear God. I pray these things in Your wonderful and powerful name. Amen.

Episode 79: Psalm 38:6-10

Summary

Praying Psalm 38:6-10

Transcription

Today’s verse is Psalm 38:6-10

I am bowed down and brought very low;
    all day long I go about mourning.
My back is filled with searing pain;
    there is no health in my body.
I am feeble and utterly crushed;
    I groan in anguish of heart.

All my longings lie open before You, Lord;
    my sighing is not hidden from You.
My heart pounds, my strength fails me;
    even the light has gone from my eyes.

Let’s pray together.

Our prayer today is for those who are low, those depressed, those in grief, those in pain, those ostracized, those victimized, those deceived, those in great need. Our world is fragmented into hopelessness. Oh, Jesus, hear our prayer.

We pray for the sad and the brokenhearted. We pray for those in loss and deprived of their loved ones. We pray for the lonely and the abandoned. Whatever emotions swirl and gasp in their lungs, God, be their comfort. Be their friend. Be all that they need. Remind them of their worth in You. Show them they are never alone. Bring just the right aid to them at just the right moment. God, be merciful to our feelings. They are human and broken, but they are part of us and given to us by You. So help us to deal with all they mean. Mend our brokenness and show us what it is to be whole and to be focused on You, the only true lover of our souls. Help us to trust in You fully and completely, submitting our feelings to You. Be our Jehovah Jireh.

We pray for the pained and the suffering. We pray for those injured and for those with illness and disease. Jesus, bring relief and healing. We ask that You be in each body and fill it with Your Holy Spirit. Use whatever means You deem good, LORD. Use doctors and medicine, use tools and knowledge, use Your supernatural will. We ask for Your intervention for the agony suffered in our bodies. We pray to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless, provide for the destitute. Fix our broken cars and houses and show us that our physical bodies and their needs are well within Your ability to bless us. We ask You to provide jobs and resources and education and anything else we need. Touch our minds and our wills, heal them and restore them and let them be strong and bright and full of Your Spirit. Help us to be shaped into your hands. Help us to be led by You and You alone. Help us submit our decisions to You alone. Be our Jehovah Rapha.

We pray for the deceived and the lost. We pray for the abused and the scared. We pray for all those who have no knowledge of You. For those who have abandoned You. For those who think they know You and they do not. For those who are determined to believe in and gratify anything else other than You. Jesus, we need You, for we are sinners and we are Your creation. We are all spiritual beings and only You can satisfy us. Fill our longings, LORD. Whatever we use to try and fill the emptiness within us, help us to see that it will never work. You are all. Help us to see that. Help us to run after You with passion in our hearts and fire in our eyes. Let You be our goal. Let You be our satisfaction. I pray that You break chains of fear and bondage and deception and reveal Truth. Reveal You. Draw people back to You. Bring the prodigals home. Relieve the suffering of those who pray for them. Help us all to be loosed from whatever temptation or lie or wound is holding us back from a full relationship with You. Help us to depend on You and You alone and submit our wills to Yours. You are our everything; help us to know that deeply. Be our Jehovah Nissi.

We pray this today in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Amen

Fiction Forward

I love to read. Ever since I was a small girl, there was no better way to spend my time than in between the pages of a book. Stories sparked my imagination, provided context for life, and sent my senses soaring to new worlds. The first book I could read was a small picture book of Sleeping Beauty. I was so proud of myself, but more fascinated by the reality that these letters strung together could hold such power and be so entertaining.

I was hooked and I’ve spent my life reading. Fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, romance, thrillers, classics. I read them all and loved them all. It was hard to find a book that I didn’t want to race through and then immediately pick up and read again. The books on my shelves are well-cared for, but they’re a bit battered from use. There’s nothing like reading a book again . . . unless it’s reading a book for the first time. You can’t make me choose between the thrill of exploring a new place and the comfort of revisiting a well-beloved home.

Yet, with all my years of reading, I never read much non-fiction. I can’t say never. I’m a big fan of all of C.S. Lewis’ apologetic works and I loved reading Old Hollywood film star biographies. But I’ve never gravitated toward non-fiction on purpose. It had to be connected to something else I loved or I would never have thought to pick it up. Of what use were words that were describing something that was true? That was boring? I wanted the possibilities.

You can imagine my surprise that my first published book is a memoir—a very true story—one that I agonized over making sure was a good narrative structure while still maintaining the complete truth. Non-fiction is hard because you can’t make anything up. There are strict rules. But I did it and I’m grateful for it. In the few years I spent making the book, I read all the non-fiction I could get my hands on, wanting to make sure I understood how it was done. And I uncovered a love for it and an appreciation for the good that it can do. True stories are powerful and contain messages of hope and freedom.

But my first love will always remain fiction and I’m eager to get back to it. So I am announcing a shift for you, but a gentle shift. I’m planning my next book project, and this time it’s going to be fiction. But there are true stories I still want to tell—stories from my family—so the next few ideas I have are fictionalized versions of those true stories. They will hold the core element of what is important about the amazing real-life people they are based on, but I will have the freedom to temper them into a better narrative structure. Life doesn’t always give us a perfect beginning, middle, and end.

I will be taking a few months hiatus as I work on these changes, so be prepared to not see me post again until July at the earliest. This space and these monthly posts will change into behind-the-scenes looks at the writing process, at the research I’m doing, and updates on where I’m at. Peace Prayers will remain here as well, so don’t be afraid that will end. But my writing bent is going to slant fiction forward.

I hope you will join me and participate in the fascination of how novels are created. Watch as I turn the real romances I’ve known into historical fiction. Please support me in pursuing my life-long dream of taking the words and ideas in my head and helping them to become reality. In so doing, I pray others will learn to love to read and admire words and stories for the truth-revealing, imagination-inspiring, anything-is-possible tools that they are.

Join me, friends.