To Pray or Not To Pray? That is the Question!

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have decided to pitch to an agent and editor next week (yikes!!) at the ACFW Conference. Since I made that decision about two weeks ago, I have worked at a near-frantic pace to write the perfect elevator pitch, memorize the perfect elevator pitch, develop the perfect one-sheet, practice the perfect introduction and the perfect handshake...you get the point. (Can we say "perfectionist?")

I am an early riser and I use that time to work on writing, study writing or reading - usually a book on which I will write a review. These last two weeks I have spent most mornings working on the perfect elevator pitch, the perfect...see the list above.

This is not a bad thing until I miss my daily Bible reading and morning time of prayer. That has happened a lot over the last two weeks.

God finally cornered me yesterday to tell (teach) me a couple of things.

First, the perfect evelator pitch, the perfect 1-sheet, the perfect intro and handshake really don't mean a thing. It's not that I don't want to do the very best work I can do, but rather, it's the fact that He is in control. If He wants me to get a contract with an agent and/or editor, He will ordain that. If He wants my book to be published, He will make it happen. All my striving, my frantic-ness is to no avail. That is so freeing to me. For the first time in two weeks, there aren't any knots in my stomach. (I hope it's still that way next weekend!)

Second, I can't afford to neglect my prayer time. It's not that I haven't prayed at all. I pray for all the requests that come through the ACFW prayer chain, and the requests from my church prayer chain. I pray when I'm writing. "Lord, is this the right word?" "Should I change this sentence?"

There is nothing wrong with praying in that manner. It's part of that "pray without ceasing" instruction. But it still doesn't take the place of the daily communion with God - just the two of us. So, if you'll excuse me, I'm going downstairs now and spend some time with God, just the two of us.

If you have any prayer requests and don't mind writing them in your comments, please feel free to do so. Or send me an email at edwina.cowgill@yahoo.com. I would be honored to pray for you.

Blessings!