#192: Writers - Where Do You Put Your Trust?

Welcome to the Author Audience show, the podcast that helps you reach more people with your message, create a book, connect with your audience, change lives. Here's your host, Shelly Hitz.

Hi, my name is Shelly Hitz. I'm the owner of Author Audience Academy, and I'm on a mission to help you reach more people with your message. It's time to let your light shine. And in this training, I want to talk about a topic that I don't think we often cover when it comes to writing, and that is some of the spiritual components of writing. And the theme that I really want to cover in today's training is this theme of trust. And are we really putting our trust in God for our writing, or are we putting our trust in ourselves and in our own efforts? Because how many of you know that there are very real enemies that face us when we go to write, when we go to market our writing, when we go to put ourselves out there? Whether it's writing a book or, you know, marketing that book, you are going come up against resistance. If you agree, just type I agree in the comments. And so I wanted to share a scripture that has just really, like, resonated with me lately. I've been reading through the Bible using the new living translation and just the one year Bible. I just have the Bible here, and then I just write in it, so I don't feel any hesitation. This Bible is just for this year. I'm just writing everything in it. And I want to share a little bit about the story of Jehoshaphat. The funny thing about it is when I was in fifth grade, we did a play, a musical at church, Fat. Fat Chahasha Fat was the name. And we didn't have enough guys to play the roles of the different things. And so I was cast as Jehoshaphat in fifth grade. And I wish I had a. I wish I could dig up the picture. I'll have to dig it up sometime because it's so cute. You know, I was in my little robe and my crown. But this story means even more because I learned this at a very young age. But God really brought out a lot to me in this passage, and I want to share it with you. So Jehoshaphat was a king of Judah, and, you know, he had some ups and downs for the most part. I mean, he was a good king and he did what the Lord wanted. But he did have some moments where, you know, he was trying to do some other things. But for the most part, he really trusted in the Lord in his leadership. Role. So, so it's second Chronicles 20 is the chapter we're focusing on. And on verse one, right away it says the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites and some of the.

Mayunites, I don't know how you say that declared war on Jehoshaphat. How many of you know we have a very real enemy and that enemy is Satan, the devil. And he declares war on, on Christ followers. And sometimes there are seasons that are harder than others. And I just really believe that, especially when you're a Christian writer, Christian author, there are going to be many more opportunities that you're going to face these enemies coming against you, declaring war against you, because you come in the name of Jesus Christ. If you say God, that's one thing, but when you start saying Jesus Christ, when you start, you know, living for him, that's, you know, the enemies start coming out. And in verse 3 it says Jehoshaphat was terrified. So they're not trying to say that he was perfect and he never had any emotions or never felt afraid. Jehoshaphat was terrified, it says, and begged the Lord for guidance. But listen to this. What was his immediate knee jerk response? He ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. There is power in unity. There's power when we come together in prayer and fasting. There's power in a leader coming and saying, I don't know what else to do. We've got to pray, we've got to fast, and let's do this together. And so then Jehoshaphat stood before the entire community of Judah and he prayed. And I love this part of the prayer. In verse 12 it says, Jehoshaphat prayed. We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to you for help. How many of you have ever felt like you don't know what to do? Whether it is just writing the next sentence, writing the next chapter, how to do all the technology related to publishing and marketing a book. How many of you ever just felt like stuck and I don't know what to do?

I know I have felt that many, many times. But I love Jehoshaphat's prayer. We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do. He is admitting his powerlessness and he is admitting his trust in God. He is admitting his trust in a power greater than his right. We are looking to you for help. Then it says, the spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men and this man then said this, and this is what's kind of famous about this story, says, this is what the Lord says. Do not be afraid. Do not be discouraged by this mighty army. For the battle is not yours, but God's. How many of you have ever taken on the responsibility of a battle that it's not yours to take on? This battle of publishing your book, this battle of writing that first draft, this battle of creating an online platform and marketing your book, whatever it might be, it might be a personal battle, might be something else. This battle is not yours, but God's. So, writers, today, I want to remind you that there is a power greater than you at your resource. If you are a follower of Christ, you have access to the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Can I get an amen? Oh, my goodness. I think sometimes we just forget. Sometimes we just get into this tunnel vision of, like, I'm just stuck. I can't write this book. This is too hard. I can't figure out this technology. This is too big. This is too whatever. And we forget the resources that are available to us if we will just trust God, if we'll just put our trust in him. And so then that person goes on to say, but you will not even need to fight. Take your positions, then stand still and watch the Lord's victory. Now, sometimes throughout the Bible, you know, God does things different every time. And sometimes he calls you to fight like he called David to fight many, many, many battles. David was a warrior king David. But in this case with Jehoshaphat, they said, you won't even have to fight. And it says, do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow. For. And this is the key, the Lord is with you. Type in the comments. The Lord is with me. How many of you know that when we have the Lord with us, the spirit of God on our side, that we can overco any obstacle? I mean, in his timing, in his way, sometimes we want it done in our way and in our timing. And that's different. We have to give up control, too right? We have to say, okay, Lord, I'm trusting in you, in your strategy and your plan, in your way. And maybe it's not as planned for you to finish your first draft today. Maybe it is. But how many of you know we have the Lord, our God with us? And so, you know, it said Jehoshaphat bowed down low. He worshiped God and they praised God. And it's just a picture of humility, pride, many times will get in the way of God fighting our battles for us. But Jehoshaphat humbled himself. He put his trust in the Lord, and he says, believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Then Jehoshaphat appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. I love that, you know, in a battle, he said, the creative ones, the musicians in battle first. And it says at the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir to start fighting amongst themselves. I don't think it's a coincidence that it says at the very moment that they begin to sing and praise. There is power and praise. Even if your circumstances are not looking favorable right now, and you have a huge army coming against you, those enemies, whatever they are, there is power and gratitude and thankfulness and praise. And I just believe it activates God. You know, prayer and fasting, you know, humility, praise and worship there. It activates something with God, and he began to act immediately at the moment they began to sing and praise. And so God isn't a vending machine. It's not a transactional thing with him. It's not like, okay, I give this to you, God, and then you're gonna give me that. I mean, there are principles in the kingdom. There are principles, but it really comes down to our heart, you know, not just to do the praise and the thanksgiving and the gratitude and, you know, I have a whole series of books on gratitude, but not just to do it to get from God like a vending machine, but to really, you know, have it come from our hearts, a place of trust and surrender. Just knowing he's got us, knowing he's bigger than whatever is facing us today. Amen. And then it says not a single one of the enemy escaped. Not a single one. They all killed each other.

And, you know, the warriors from Judah and Jehoshaphat, they didn't have to do anything. And this is interesting, too. I just want to finish the story with this. This point. It says they found vast amounts of equipment, clothing, and other valuables, more than they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it. All the people praised and thanked the Lord there, and they called it the Valley of Blessing. And I just want you to think about it. Sometimes, on the other side of this battle, there is a huge blessing waiting for you. Not always, but I have seen it. When I finished my book, broken crayons still color it was the hardest book ever to write. It took me five months. I'm not a person who gets depressed, but I felt depressed most of the time. Like, I had my prayer team praying for me all the time. And yet it was hard. But on the other side, God gave me the gift of art. Because when I was writing that book, he led me to illustrate coloring book pages for that book. I was going to hire someone. I just sensed God say, you do it. And on the other side, I've received this amazing, incredible gift of art that I would have never received had I not pushed through and trusted God with that book. But not only that, that book is really, really selling well. It wasn't even my idea. But I just want to encourage you today, there is a power greater than you. And wherever you're at in the process of your book, if you're just in the beginning, outlining and coming up with a topic, if you're writing your first draft, if you're in the editing phase, if you're publishing or marketing, wherever you're at, whenever you feel stuck or whenever you feel like there is resistance, I want you to remember Jehoshaphat. I want you to remember that there is a power greater than you, that the battle is not yours, but it's God's. If he's called you to create this book, if he's called you to write this book, if he's called you to market these books, he will provide. He will give you the God ideas. He will help you to cross that finish line. He will provide people to help you do the things that you need to do. If we will just trust him. So today I want to ask you, first of all, who is your enemy right now related to writing and publishing and marketing your books? And what's your typical response? I teach this all the time. And I want to say it again. Just like Jehoshaphat, he called Judah to prayer and fasting. I recommend every Christian writer have a prayer team, even if it's just two or three people. And when those obstacles come, when that resistance comes, come. When you're going to sit down to write, you call on them to pray. So if you're going to write today and you haven't asked anyone to pray for you, go text someone right now. Go message someone right now. Say, hey, I'm going to be writing today. Please be praying for me. And then after today, like, take time to form a small prayer team. I know that. I know that. I know that. I know it was the prayers of my prayer team. That got me through writing my book. Broken crayons still color there. I had. I mean I've written over 40 books and I have never felt the resistance since I felt with that book. I know I wouldn't have finished it without them. But what's your first reaction when that resistance comes? And then I just want to ask you today, are you willing like Jehoshaphat, to surrender? My mom is a counselor, a Christian counselor. And she says typically every major turning point starts with that surrender. And when we come up with resistance or obstacles and things with our writing, are you willing to surrender and to trust God and to say like Jehoshaphat, I don't know what to do, but I am looking to you for help. I want you to take a few minutes right now to just ask the Lord what does this message mean for you today? This message of trust and surrender regarding your writing and your marketing, you know, and what is God saying to you in this battle is not yours, but it's God? Just want you to take some time to journal that out. Ask the Lord what does this mean for me in my writing right now? And let me just pray for you. So God, I just thank you for every writer, I thank you for every person right now that is listening to this. And I pray God that you would help them to overcome whatever enemies are coming against them right now. In Jesus name name, I pray for a spirit of just surrender and trust. And I command any self sufficiency to leave in Jesus name. And Lord, I just pray that we would press into you for your ideas, that you would write the book through us, that you know, you're the author, we're just the pen, Lord, that you provide for us what we need financially, that you provide the people that we need to help us. And Lord, that we put our trust in you, you, not in our own efforts, not in our own ways and not in the ways of the world, but in you Lord. And I just pray for breakthrough right now in Jesus name Lord, just like barriers like coming crashing down right now in Jesus name that resistance being overcome in Jesus name I pray against any fear, any procrastination, any perfectionism. They must leave in Jesus name doubt, you must leave in Jesus name. And God, I just pray you would just raise up faith in each one of us. Faith in you and faith for what you are going to do in and through us. And I just pray this in Jesus wonderful name. Amen. I was just talking with a friend on Monday, I was praying for him and he was like, shelly, I just got a vision for you. He said, I got a vision that you're a hammer. I'm like, okay, God, is this a pink hammer? Is this a good hammer? And he said, I got this picture that you're a hammer and there was this glass and you hit the glass and through the glass came shooting a rocket. And I was like, okay, I think there's going to be some rockets that are going to take off today. God is going to use me as a hammer to help you overcome those resistance, that obstacle, that glass ceiling, those things that are holding you back. And he's the one that's going to give you the increase. He's the one that's going to do it through you. And if you believe it, can you just type right now? I believe he can do it in the comments. I believe he can do it exceedingly, abundantly above what we can even think or imagine. He can do it. Thank you so much for listening to this episode of Author Audience. I would like to invite you to attend one of my free trainings on three proven book writing formulas. Every nonfiction author needs to know. This is a fun and fast way to write a nonfiction book, but also a book that you're proud of. Plus, I will give you two free gifts just for attending. No credit card required. First, you'll get my 10 nonfiction book title templates and you'll also get my ebook titled Brilliant brainstorming. It's a 28 page ebook and both of these bonuses are yours at no charge. Just for joining us for the training, you can sign up for my free training by going to shellyhits.com formulas. That's ShelleyHitz S-H E L L E Y H I-T Z.com formulas. This training and the two bonuses are free and I would love to help you write your next nonfiction book.

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