How to Breathe God-Messages

Where do you go for inspiration? Sometimes I sit down with my journal. Other times I take a walk or take a bath. Today I found inspiration from Facebook and hymns. Honestly!

Facebook is always interesting, but when I read through my feed today I noticed a few things:

Death, loss, and moms struggling with anxiety. I saw needs . . . lots of needs. I saw friends and acquaintances who need a fresh dose of encouragement and hope.

Inspiration means “breath of God.” Sometimes when inspiration hits I’m able to do fun work. I’m able to write a moving chapter in my novel or pen a short story for a magazine. But sometimes God’s breath takes me to harder places where I feel others’ hurt deep in my chest.

Inspiration isn’t always light and fluffy. (Don’t we wish it was!) And sometimes creativity comes so that we can offer just the right words, messages, or images to hurting friends.

Here are 5 ways to breathe God-messages:

1. Start with God’s Word. God’s Word is truth and is where all creativity comes from. Read meaningful passages and delve into the creativity of God’s Word. I love the poetry of Psalms. The word images always inspire me!
2. Pray for God’s inspiration. “The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed,” Isaiah 50:4 (NIV). Pray that God will give you a well-instructed tongue to inspire and bless someone else.
3. Fill yourself up first. Before I even opened Facebook I spent time with God. I read numerous chapters from the book of John. I marveled at the compassion Jesus had for those who dared to trust Him. My heart grew thankful over His compassion for me, and soon my full heart was ready to spill out.
4. Pray for words, messages, or images that can be a gift to others. “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver,” we read in Proverbs 25:11. Those “words” can be shared in numerous ways!
5. Find creative ways to share God’s truth. This morning my heart was drawn to creating a visual message for so hurting friends. This is what I came up with:

I don’t know who is going to see this graphic. I don’t know how these words will speak to hurting hearts. All I know is that God inspired me this morning, and creativity flowed. From the stirring that I feel deep within, I imagine it’ll keep flowing. That’s how creativity works, isn’t it? Once you prime the pump, it’s amazing what comes out!

What about you? How do you get inspired? How many God-messages has He given you lately to share?

Steps You can Take

1. Spend time with God, praying for God’s inspiration.
2. Do something to feed your creative soul.
3. Let the creativity spill out through words, through music, through art.
4. Share your message (God’s message through you) with others.

Daily Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the creativity and inspiration you give us. I pray that you would continue to inspire me daily so that I can breathe your messages to those around me in need. 

In Jesus name, amen.

Resources You Might Like:

The Creative Life
A Million Little Ways