Country is honest,
A sky so big, trees seem small
There’s just you and God,
It’s inescapable,
Man’s insignificance.
“Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.”—Psalm 144:4
Country is honest,
A sky so big, trees seem small
There’s just you and God,
It’s inescapable,
Man’s insignificance.
“Man is like a breath; his days are like a passing shadow.”—Psalm 144:4
What really matters
becomes clear at the seashore
Sun rises and sets
All this with no help from me
Only the work of God’s hands.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” —Psalm 19:1
Writers, here is some inspiration for the upcoming publication. Let’s consider Psalm 42 as a lament. In the first verse, note the author’s utter desperation.
As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, my God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
My tears have been my food day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
under the protection of the Mighty One d
with shouts of joy and praise
among the festive throng.
Here is his encouraging self-talk as he reminds himself to trust in God.
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
By day the Lord directs his love,
at night his song is with me—
a prayer to the God of my life.
Then the author pours out his problems and honest emotions because God can handle it (and He already knows our heart anyway).
I say to God my Rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
oppressed by the enemy?”
My bones suffer mortal agony
as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
“Where is your God?”
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
How desperate are you for deliverance from your situation? Will you trust Jesus to take you out of it? Be completely honest about your problems and emotions. Write several laments as poems. Then write them as essays. Then write them as prayers. Write letters to those who have sinned against you. Then submit your most powerful piece of writing to Draw Near. Make sure it follows all of the guidelines for Draw Near’s next publication. (Please participate in this writing exercise even if you never plan to submit. This cathartic artistic expression of your negative emotions can be healing.)
Draw Near is currently accepting nonfiction submissions for a new free ebook. This publication will consist of themed short writings and poetry. Writings can consist of poems, prayers, essays, letters, or other forms under 1,000 words. Please keep in mind that Draw Near is a Christian publisher. Do not submit inappropriate writing. Everyone is welcome to submit. Only quality writings that relate to the theme will be accepted.
THEME: Laments A lament is an expression of sorrow or regret. Lament your broken heart, broken dreams, prodigal children, habitual sins, injustice in the world, abuse, death of a loved one, or whatever else you deeply feel. Please include one verse of Biblical lament that corresponds to your writing in the New International Version format. (Biblical laments can be found in Job, Psalms, Lamentations, Habakkuk, Micah, Malachi, and more.) The purpose of this publication is threefold. 1) Encourage readers to freely open their hearts to God. 2) Inform readers they are not alone in their grief. 3) Express negative emotions in a healthy way. Please end your writing on a hopeful note that God will (or has) brought you out of this dark period of your life. (Many thanks to Molly woundresser for sharing her inspiration for the theme.)
Carefully read the following guidelines before submitting.
Still interested? Send in your writing to songofsolomon8@outlook.com today!
Live your life daily,
Crumple your icky days up,
There is some rubbish
on your winding path to joy,
Fix your eyes on the top prize.
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” —Romans 12:12
Draw Near is currently accepting submissions for a new free ebook called Menagerie: An Anthology of Christian Writing. This publication will be a combination of exceptional fiction and poetry. Fiction should be under 1,000 words. All genres will be considered. Narrative poetry will be shown preference. All forms (except shape poetry) will be considered. Please keep in mind that Draw Near is a Christian publisher. Everyone is welcome to submit. Quality submissions that reflect Christian values are the only ones that will be accepted.
Carefully read the following guidelines before submitting.
Still interested? Send in your poem to songofsolomon8@outlook.com today!
Adults taught me it's impolite to discuss thoughts on religion; They said it could start a fight or cause a friendship to end. Even if I duct-taped my mouth, My eyes would scream and shout, For every Christian has a mission to fulfill the Great Commission. "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” —Matthew 28:19-20
*Draw Near is now accepting poems for Blessed Creation: A Christian Poetry
Collection. Details here: Call for Submissions.
Wildflowers in Malawi
by Kim Bond
Lord,
I pray for Your country that You love—Malawi.
Thank you for these beautiful African people;
they are like wildflowers sunning themselves in a field.
Rain down a rich blessing on the poor in this nation
for You have made them heirs to a divine inheritance.
Heap Your love, mercy, and grace as high
as the magnificent Mount Mulange
for Your love is as deeper than Lake Malawi.
We praise You that You have populated
this land with a large number of Christians.
Make them swift as the antelope to carry Your Word
to every corner—from swamp to shore.
Quadruple the number and size of fish drawn out of its waters,
and likewise quadruple the number and size of disciples
raised up by Your missionaries across its land—
from Mzuzu in the north to Blantyre in the south.
Extend the free gift of salvation to the
unreached people of Gujarati, Kachchi, Swahili, and Yao.
Bring an end to the disastrous flooding
according to Your enduring and everlasting kindness.
Weave together a quilt of cooperation among missionaries, officials, and others
to improve the quality of life for its people especially in the areas of
economy, communication, and infrastructure.
Raise Your hand to halt the AIDS/HIV epidemic,
and heal those on beds of suffering with Your loving touch.
Shine Your righteous light in every corner
so every man, woman, and child knows that
calling on Your glorious Name gives power to the weak,
wisdom to the foolish, and hope to the hopeless.
Thank You, Lord, for hearing our prayer.
In Christ’s Name,
Amen.
*Draw Near exists to glorify God and help others draw near to Christ by providing free resources. Click here to learn more about God and here to access free Christian ebooks. Thanks for visiting. Stay blessed!
Unfortunately, Draw Near is not accepting new submissions at this time*. Check back often or connect with Draw Near on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+ to be notified of new opportunities to glorify God and help others draw near to Christ with your writing talent.
A free ebook called Beseeching Grace: An International Prayer Collection is coming soon!Prayer for Malawi is just one of thirty heartfelt prayers written for thirty different countries around the world by a variety of Christian authors.
*Draw Near is still accepting submissions from authors who pledged to write for a country and have not filled their pledge. The deadline for these prayers is January 31. Submit completed prayers to k.bondofstl@yahoo.com. Thank you for your pledge to lead many readers in prayer for your selected country.