Write it down and make it plain
A report by Tim Pooley on the writers conference held in May 2023
“Write down the revelation and make it plain … so that whoever reads it may run with it.”
It was exciting to hear testimonies from people who had a renewed sense of God’s personal call to write. ‘This weekend has given a fresh sense of call to write …’ ‘fresh impetus! Renewed motivation to convey revelation to others through writing’ … ‘to write is a gift that enables me to share the story of God through the unique perception of life that walking with Him has given me.’
The Holy Spirit reminded us all very clearly that there is no point in expecting others to run with the revelation we write about if we have not first lived it out ourselves. ‘For my writing to have impact, it must come from revelation I have received and lived out … Go on the adventure and you will have something to write about that others need to hear’ ‘Writing is an overflow of our relationship with God’ ‘if I write at all, I write to bless others and to the glory of God.’ ‘I realise that the emphasis is not on the writing itself. It’s about being changed through revelation first, living it out and then out of that the rivers of living water will flow from inside inside me, through my pen and onto the paper.’
Making it plain takes hard graft! Yes, there are those moments when the revelation simply seems to flow. ‘How crucial it is it is to write down revelation while it burns within, capturing the clarity and life of the moment!’ ‘I forego my desire for perfection to convey Holy Spirit passion.’ Yet our first drafts nearly always leave room for improvement. ‘Red pen is good. Edit, re-edit and edit again. Make it plain and clear.’ ‘Take pleasure in learning. Be prepared to look at typescripts one more time … check them for rhythm, style, conciseness and quality of communication.’
Some of us came to the conference feeling a little apprehensive. Yet such fears proved to be completely unfounded. “I came to this conference without a clear idea of what to expect, and a little fearful of having my writing ability put on the line. But I’d reckoned without God’s grace. In all he leads us to do, he gives us grace, and grace flowed between the participants as we all learned together. It was a safe learning environment. … I found it inspiring to hear the contributions of others participants, and the melding of creative and prophetic gifting produced some writing of striking impact. Imagination and skill with words joined with the sharp sword of truth.’
The purpose of our writing is that whoever reads it may run with it. ‘My writing is an invitation to others to share in the adventure that I am living.’ ‘Someone needs to hear what God has given me to say.’ ‘I am hungry for revelation from the Word and desperately wanting God to show me how I can translate the discoveries I receive into action. Then I’ll have something to write about, share with people and maybe even change the course of someone’s life in the process.’ ‘I accept the sword placed in my hand … It will reveal the story behind the day to day and lift others’ eyes, as it has lifted mine.’ ‘On our way here, I had an impression of young men that I would raise up …’ ‘There is so much revelation that God wants others to know.’
Coming together as a group of writers sparked a new spirit of collegiality and co-operation, which will encourage more impactful writing. ‘God is clearly doing something new in the Way of the Spirit family.’