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Welcome to the final gathering for our Writing to God journey 2013.
I want to thank each one of you for hanging in there for the duration.
I know a few of our friends were unable to complete the journey this time and to those of you who bought the book and ended up with one too many things to do on your “want to do” list, I totally relate and encourage you to breathe easy, knowing you can start anytime. I certainly would consider another journey here same time next year! I appreciate that you considered joining in and know that when the time is right you will take that time…trusting it will be the best time for you to begin the journey. All that being said, here we are, the grand finally of our gatherings…and with our special guest.
Today, I am truly honored to welcome our leader and prompt provider, the author of Writing to God: 40 Days Of Praying With My Pen, herself, Rachel G. Hackenberg.
Friends, it’s been a blessing for me to share the Writing to God journey with you — across the weeks of Lent and into these early days of Eastertide. I appreciate the community that Dawn has encouraged here, and the prayers that you have shared here; you have encouraged my own prayers! It’s a pleasure to guest post today and to join in the conversation.
From my own use of Writing to God (because I still go back and re-use the prompts!), here is a prayer that I wrote on the Day 34 prompt…
From the deepest wells of the earth, the LORD God has called forth a river — an unending stream that gives life to the seeds and the soil, that carves beauty into the mountains and the plains, that circles the world around — and the river is the abundance of God. The name of the river among people of faith is Grace, and they wade into its water for blessing and renewal. The name of the river in places of devastation is Healing, and the people drink deeply of its strength and hope.
My prayer remains unfinished from one year ago when I first started writing it. I still revisit it, re-pray it, and I doodle new words in the margins of the page in an attempt to find direction for the remainder of the prayer. But it may remain unfinished, if only because there are other pages in the book and other prompts that catch my soul’s attention.
However you have experienced this prayer-writing journey (perhaps with good but unmet intentions, perhaps with impressive daily discipline), the good news of prayer and of prayer-writing is that you can always turn the page to start a new prayer! Some days our pens feel alive with the Spirit, other days not so much, but God meets us every day no matter our pens’ skill or inspiration!
So I invite you to share your prayers and your stories of prayer-writing today!
What prayer flowed faster than your pen could write?
What prayer remains unfinished?
What have been the joys and the sticking points of your prayer-writing journey?
Continued blessings on your prayer-writing!
Rachel
You can visit Rachel at her Blog
Follow her on Twitter @RHackenberg
Writing to God Community on Facebook
Sign up HERE to receive weekly prayer prompts via e-mail, and enjoy creative guidance for your prayers every Friday!
Read my Review of Writing to God: 40 Days Of Praying With My Pen
Review also available on Amazon
Linking with:
My Daily Walk In His Grace
Enthusiastically, Dawn 
I'm visiting your blog for the first time from Winsome Wednesday. It looks like I missed a good series. I loved the prayer that was posted today. I am so glad for God's river of grace!Blessings~Shari
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My writing to God is what led me to write a book – Joy in the Mourning. Pouring my heart out to God on paper gave me the fuel to complete the project.
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What a great day to find Dawn's blog, Shari! Even as this series ends, hopefully you're finding here the encouragement to begin your own writing journey!
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Writing to God is a healing and transforming practice — I agree with you, Esther Joy. Thank you for sharing your book title.
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Hi Shari, welcome! Indeed a perfect day to visit. Nice meeting you- I agree, Rachel's prayers always seem to be poetic and inspired.
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First of all, thank you to Dawn for introducing me to Writing to God and for hosting the weekly get-togethers.Second, thank you, Rachel, for sharing your words and your heart, and now your time with us.My journey has been much as you described. Some days my pen flew on the page and others it was like trying to get blood from a stone. I wasn't particularly poetic. Mostly I just wrote letters to a trusted friend and teacher.This week it was Day 47, Confession, that freed my words.Teaching Jesus, there is so much I don't understand.~How could they know you and still hate you?~How could they doubt with you right there with them?~Why do you love us so much?~Why did some things change when you came, but not others?~Why is it okay to dismiss some things as “cultural” or of the times and not others?~Why did some of the men you used to bring about your will still get called “righteous men of God” even though they committed terrible sins?~Why some faithful servants suffer so much for so long while some who deny you enjoy great blessings?I could go on forever about what I don't understand, but your ways are not my ways. You know all of my failings and weaknesses and you work with them. You love me as I am. You meet me where I am. Thank you for having answers, for helping me through this life, for revealing to me what I need when you think I need it.
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The book looks like a powerful and poignant read, Esther Joy! Thanks for chiming in!
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Stacy, I so enjoyed having you along for this journey! Maybe it can be a yearly thing? WHo knows! Your questions in this prayer resonate with me, as well. Beautiful. Thank you, God for your Spirit alive in each of us! Thanks for being available and committed for the journey, Stacy!
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Thank you for sharing your questions & wonderings, Stacy! I place a great deal of trust in God being “big enough” for our questions and doubts; I hear that trust in your prayer too. Blessings to you!
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Really encouraging.
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Blessings, Denise!
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Rachel and Dawn- Thank you for this journey during Lent and Easter…I made it through Day 36 and am kinda glad because I can linger a few more days with the prayers, prompts and my pen…This month or so has reminded me of the joy of exploring prayer with my pen and my mind, heart and soul…Here are some prayer responses I wrote this past week for Days 34-36(Day 34)Father-Son-Spirit: Your abundance overwhelms me–Sometimes I despise itSometimes I neglect itSometimes I take it for grantedSometimes I revel in your fullnessFill me with intentional gratitude. Amen(Day35)HisAnointingNeverDisappoints. Let me Serve with gratitude.(Day 36)Spirit infiltrate the oppression that chokes out love, mercy and fellowshipHere's to more praying with our pens and hopefully a simiiar journey next year.Kel
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