Writing is like Prayer

Went to two lectures yesterday given by Lauren Winner, author of a memoir called Girl Meets God and in one of them, she compared writing to prayer.

This probably only makes sense to those of us who write because writing requires discipline. Most of the time, it is very challenging to try and write something profound, meaningful, or simply express your thoughts on a subject articulately.

I think it is equally challenging to pray profoundly and articulately.

I can remember so many times in college when I was trying to write a paper just sitting in front of the computer, waiting for the words to come. The more pressure I was under, the more difficult it was to get the words out.

There's a lesson to be learned here perhaps about waiting on God...

Lauren Winner commented that when we pray, we talk more than we listen.

I think that's true. For me, it is hard to listen when I feel like I don't hear from God, so I fill the silence with sound, and the quiet with His Word instead... maybe that's how we hear from God.

I struggle more than I admit with God's will for my life. Sometimes I wish he would take out ads on billboards.

Prayer is a discipline I should practice more, and it seems to be one of those things that people talk about but fail to do. That's true for me.

As I practice the discipline of prayer, perhaps God's will for my life will become more clear.

And here's a weird thing: The more I write, the more I pray... I can tell when I'm spiritually dry because in those times, I just don't feel like I have anything to write. Writing helps me to observe and reflect, and leads me to prayer.

One discipline leads to the other.