What a year this has been! Have you been able to move forward and hear more of God in prayer? I hope so. For me personally, the cry of hearing more and more of God and joining Him where He is at work has gotten more insistent. Perhaps, because I haven’t been running from place to place, I’ve been able to hear Him better. Certainly, I have been home more! How about you?
Listening for His voice
He has said in Psalm 46:10 NLT, “Be still and know that I am God,” Even when I am still, it doesn’t mean my brain is still! However, after participating in a 24-hour prayer retreat, which focused prayer over panic, one message I did get this past year was,
“Share My prayers with My people.”
So, God, what was that to look like? I was already at work on a book about prayer practices. I thought that I was to share with others the types of conversations God and I had had over the years.
However, He had other ideas. He wanted me to share the prayer conversations other people had with Him, then match them with specific prayer practices. These insights came after much wrestling and prayer with God. It took piles of paper all over the floor, brainstorming what sharing stories and prayers could look like.
Finally, at another writing retreat, the final outline became more clear. By sharing others’ conversations with God, many people could become more closely connected to Him. All along I was to join Him in writing my book. I didn’t have to write it alone.
Moving forward in listening and writing
This past year has been spent writing, listening, editing, writing, listening and editing. I would get insight from my pastor’s sermons, for instance, such as keywords like strengthen, redeem, transform. Or receive leads on who I was to interview for prayer conversations. At this point in time, right before publishing to Amazon, the book has been edited at least 20 times in various shapes and forms.
All of this is to say that joining God in what He is doing becomes adventurous and listening takes a lot of practice! At one time, I thought I had finished the next to last chapter of the book. As I pondered it, I felt nudged to change the prayer conversation example and the prayer practice. Do this, not that kind of guidance. So intriguing a process with co-writing with God.
What’s next for you, the reader?
You, too, can have these types of adventures with God, listening and joining in His creative work. I am inviting you to continue on this journey with me by watching for the next newsletter to arrive in your inbox on April 22nd.
Creative Connections -New adventures in prayer and creative ways to hear and see God in your life that matters.
Each month you’ll receive two newsletters that allow you to hear and see God in new and creative ways to grow your intimacy with God and your creative mindset.
Watch for it coming from NancyBBooth.com. a new website to be launched next week, with a new look, and an emphasis for us all to hear God clearly and connect in the community. You can keep tabs on the progress on my new Facebook page.
As an author, a spiritual director, and a woman after God’s own heart, I hope you’ll come along on this adventurous journey with me, for I believe, you, too, want a life that matters. I think we’ll travel well in community together.
My dear friend you are busy. And I can’t wait to see where you go with the next steps.