Writers Devotion by Rebecca Willman Gernon, author of Amy Signs

The Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:9-13

Many people contact their best friends or family members on a daily basis, sharing what’s happening in their life, listening to the other person’s good news and/or problems, and indulging in idle chit-chat. These calls may last a few minutes to hours. We always find time for our friends and family, but what about God. He wants the same type of close, personal friendship with you. Prayer is one way we communicate with God, but do any of us spend as much time talking with God as we do on Facebook, or on our Iphones, Ipads, and other electronic devices?

In Matthew, chapter six, Christ gave us an example of a simple prayer. Often we say the sixty-two words of the Lord’s Prayer in a dull monotone, giving little thought to the words we speak. Each petition of this prayer was included for a specific reason. “Give us this day our daily bread,” means that daily, we are to come to our heavenly Father and share our needs. This petition of the Lord’s prayer is a reminder of how God provided for the Israelites in the desert. God told the Israelites they were to gather the manna daily, but only the amount their family could consume that day. The only exception to this rule was the day before the Sabbath when they could gather twice as much, so they would not need to work on the Sabbath. If anyone gathered more than this, it spoiled. Needing to gather new food each day meant that the Israelites had to rely on God daily for their sustenance.

God could have given the Israelites enough food for their entire life in just one day, and he could do the same today, showering us with a lifetime of blessings in a twenty-four-hour span, but that act of love would not strengthen our companionship and dependency on Him.

As was required of the Israelites, and re-enforced by the words in the Lord’s prayer, daily we are to come to the Lord, ask for our needs, thank him for what we have received, and share our joys and sorrows. This applies to our writing life as well as to our physical needs. We (and especially I) do not have to do it all today. Don’t try to hurry your life. All the writing, editing, and marketing do not need to be done today. Communicate your needs daily, and God will give you the words to write, the courage to edit those words, and the strengthen to market the words for that day. Let us learn to pray….give us this day.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me talk to you daily and graciously thank you for the generous gifts I receive each day. Keep me from the greed of wanting it all now.  I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.