Should You Ask God for Success for your Writing?

One week till my launch day for Sick & Tired. Next week I'll be posting on how to do a launch, and share the stuff I've done in preparation for this book to come out. Today, however, I went back to revisit an important post I wrote before my first book, Stolen Woman, was released. I self-published it, and was nervous, and of course I wanted it to do great, but I wondered if that was okay or if I was being selfish.
 
We writers who want to glorify God sometimes wonder about marketing and promotion. Is there a way to market our work without being self-promoting? Is it okay to want the book to do well?



This post reminded me how to think rightly about this whole launch and success and how to approach thinking about my writing in general. I think it will help you too, so I'm sharing it with you today. At the end, I'll let you know what happened with that book...

***********************************************************************

Well, as the days count down for the book's publication date, I find myself wrestling with my prayers.  Should I pray that the book is successful?  Should I ask God to sell a certain number of copies?

As I've been thinking through it, I decided that yes, I should ask for success--but only if I recognize that true success may not mean what I tend to think.

My self wants to think of true success as a book that goes big, sells thousands of copies, makes a heap of money, and gets me set on the road to a great-selling sequel.



But God doesn't see things the way man (or woman) sees. God's definition of success might be far different.  God may know that the world's success would end up hurting my family, or a lot of money would end up with me relying on myself instead of God.  I think that God's definition of real success would mean that I obey Him, that my book honors Him, that it goes out and accomplishes whatever purpose He has for it (and that purpose may be big or small in my own eyes), and that it draws me and others closer to Him.

I want God to use this to help rescue trafficked women and children.  I want God to take my book and use it show missions to teens in a non-boring linear biographical-type way.  I want God to sell enough copies that we can make a huge house payment and support missionaries and help people--and go out for pizza once in awhile!

But more than all that...I want whatever God wants with it.  If an offering is a true offering, it is given without any stipulations on its use.  So, as difficult as it feels, I pray God takes this book and does whatever He wants with it.  If it would not be good for me to be successful by the world's definition, then I pray that He keeps me from success--and don't think I'm super-spiritual writing that.  It's my way of committing "out loud" that I want what God wants more than what I want (even though I admit my flesh wants to beg and plead and whine to get God to bless this!).

Why?  Because ultimately, God knows best.  There are factors I can't even imagine that go into His decisions, and as He sees the beginning from the end, He should be the one allowed to make the decisions.  All I have is now, and my perspective is very affected by what seems best to me at this very moment--not what would be best from a lifetime perspective, much less an eternal perspective.

So here it is, in writing, that my book is an offering to God, and He can sell ten copies or a thousand copies or a million copies, and I will praise Him.  I'll work hard on my end of things, and the rest is all up to Him.

Whew, that felt hard, but good.  Like walking an extra mile on the treadmill--except I won't wake up with sore muscles tomorrow because of it!

*******************************************************************************

So did God give "success"? Here were the things I hoped for, and what has happened since that book's release in 2011:

I want God to use this to help rescue trafficked women and children. 
Because of the book, I've been able to start a speaking ministry. I train people about human trafficking--not just about the problem but how they can be part of the solution. Many people have become involved.


I want God to take my book and use it show missions to teens in a non-boring linear biographical-type way.  
I had a teenager write to me and say, "your book changed my life."

I want God to sell enough copies that we can make a huge house payment and support missionaries and help people--and go out for pizza once in awhile!
Over 6,000 books have been sold of the Stolen Series thus far, and they keep selling. We've made enough money from them to start putting our kids in Christian school, add to our missions giving, do improvements on our house, and yes, get pizza quite a few times!

However, the most important thing has been that God has used the books for His purpose. I've been amazed at what He has done. Now I pray He will bless the Sick & Tired series and give it His kind of success, whatever that means. I pray He will get His message of hope out to those who need it.

I love being part of God's work! It gives significance and purpose to what we do, and like the 5 loaves and 2 fish, no matter how small our work may seem, He can use it to feed multitudes!

Have you seen God do that with something you wrote? Add your story below:

Next Week: How To Do a Book Launch

Subscribe so you don't miss it!