A Prayer for Your Writing: The Armor of God

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.”

We all know what the Armor of God is, don’t we? As children, we learned it in Sunday School—and if any of y’all watched Bibleman as a kid (*raises hand*), you can remember each piece of armor, from the helmet of salvation to the shoes of peace, and probably tried to use your Bible as a literal sword.

But what struck me the other day (I say the other day, but it’s been several months ago now...I’ve just procrastinated writing this) was how the Armor of God pertains to such much more than just ourselves.

That sounds crazy, right?

Well, as writers, we ourselves don’t often go out into the midst of battle as others—like missionaries, for example—would. Rather, our words are how we fight, how we combat the evil one and rescue the innocent. (Not that writing replaces hand-to-hand combat, but you get my point.) But are we equipping our writing and our books to withstand this pressure and carry out this task?

Probably not.

Hence why I’d like us to take just a moment—only, like, five minutes, y’all—to pray for our books. For our prose. For our poems. For our writing. For our words. For our social media posts and journal entries—whatever it is that we’re putting out there for others to read, whether now or in the future.

All I ask is that you raise one hand—or lay it on your notebook or laptop, wherever your words are stored—and read these next words aloud...but only if you’re sincere. This is a resolution, a declaration, a challenge, and a prayer—and not to be taken lightly, because this is a serious commitment. I do so hope you’ll make it, and I pray that God will use this to open your heart to Him and prepare you for your destiny of serving Him!

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I fasten the belt of truth on my writing. I gird my words with the absolute truth that stems from Almighty God and His Spirit, that whomever reads them would see and understand the great love and power of my God. I infuse every paragraph I will ever write with truth, that I will not present lies or falsehoods nor cause confusion. I pray that God would use my writing to reveal His truth and advance His kingdom.

I put the breastplate of righteousness on my writing. I instill purity and holiness into the heart of everything I write, that my words may be a reflection of God’s perfect image. I purge all uncleanness and wickedness from my writing and commit to writing things that honor and glorify the Lord. I pray that those who read my words would be changed and convicted according to God’s will.

I ready my writing with the shoes of peace. I prepare my words to go forth into this world and into the hearts and minds of all those who read them in peace, that I may not stir up controversy and conflict, but rather speak life in a gentle way. I dedicate my writing to bringing the peace of God to my readers’ spirits. I pray that God will use my words to turn others toward Him, to quiet their souls, and to open their hearts.

I take up the shield of faith on behalf of my writing. I stand by my words in belief, hope, and faithfulness that God has a purpose for my writing and will bring it to fruition. I will not back down from my faith in God, I will be open and unashamed about my faith within my writing and every aspect of my life, and I will strive to glorify Him in all I do. I pray that God would give me the strength to stand firm and would reveal His faithfulness through my writing.

I place the helmet of salvation on my writing. I resolve for my writing to speak of Christ’s saving power and to be a testimony of His grace. I reserve my writing for God’s purposes and save my gifts and talents for God alone. I pray that He would preserve my writing and continue to foster the desire within me, according to His will.

I wield the sword of the Spirit for my writing. I fill my writing with the Holy Spirit, that the pen with which I write—mightier than a sword—and the tongue with which I speak—sharper than a two-edged sword—would be used by Him to prick the hearts of my readers. I welcome the Holy Spirit into my writing, to weave messages of God’s grace and mercy in my stories, and to permeate every word. I pray that God would pour out His Spirit upon every word I ever write and overflow onto every person who reads even a single word, so that my writing would be as a fragrant aroma unto the Lord.

Yours in spirit and script,

Grace

Romans 1:16