Donald James Parker

Donald James Parker is a rebel with a cause and is the author of nine novels, seven of which he considers culture-flash fiction. His goal is to promote God's kingdom and tear down strongholds of the enemy while he provides entertainment. He writes for The Christian Pulse, Examiner.Com, and EzineArticles.com. The ebooks of all his novels are available for free download from his website at http://donaldJamesParker.com?cfoma. All of Don's books promote sexual purity, but two are especially focused on that topic - Love Waits and Homeless Like Me. The novels that attack the theory of human evolution include More Than Dust in the Wind, All the Voices of the Wind, and All the Fury of the Wind. Reforming the Potter's Clay is an attack on the occult. All the Stillness of the Wind is a spiritual odyssey which spotlights cheap grace and lukewarm living.

Every Christian Author Needs a Ghost Writer

I’m on the fringe of breaking a promise here. In my article last month, I said I would teach you how to get your work into Google Books. Sorry, but that article will have to wait. I felt led to share this editorial with you today instead. This definitely is not aimed solely at self-published authors. I hope even those who have been blessed with traditional publishers will have their antennae up and be willing to absorb any wisdom contained within these few sentences. You can find a plethora of “mechanics manuals” that teach how to write more effectively and professionally. While those tools should not be ignored, there is another aspect to writing Christian fiction that those aids usually don’t spotlight. I want to do that today.


Someone said of one of my books that I had employed a ghost writer: the Holy Ghost. That was the biggest compliment I could receive. It seems to me that every Christian writer should have that goal. From what I’ve seen, many writers who profess Christ want to do their own thing and lean on their own understanding. Please allow me to question that approach, even for the most talented among us. I’m convinced that God wants to let His Spirit guide us into presenting His messages to the world.


Perhaps your first reaction is “But I write fiction.”


“So, what’s your point?” I respond.


“My publisher has contracted me to write fluff that sells, so the Holy Spirit really isn’t necessary and might get in the way of my success.”


I can’t help it. I’ve got to say, “Perhaps your priorities are out of whack if you indeed want to write ‘Christian’ fiction.”


Fiction may seem to be insignificant in the big scheme of things, but storytelling presents a subtle yet powerful means to influence people. Nutritionists espouse the theory that we are what we eat. I can’t disagree with that on a physical plane, but on a character/soul plane, I might rephrase that to “we are what we read.” This is perhaps particularly true of children, whose value systems are extremely malleable during their coming-of-age years. Give a kid a Harry Potter novel and they may decide they want to become a witch. Have them read a story about prejudice, and they may decide that hating or discrimination against people because of their ethnicity is wrong. Present a chilling tale of a life ruined by drugs or alcohol, and you may influence people to avoid mind-altering substances. There is power in fiction! Harness that power and you can help mold people into the image of the God who created them in His image.


How do you invite the Holy Spirit to spend time communing with you? And how do you sensitize your ears to hear that small still voice? The best place to stargaze is a location void of light, because even the comparatively dim lights of the city filter out the magnificent glory of a distant star. In the world, the interference from human voices and other activities of puny humans will block your perspective of an awesome God. Get away to your secret and quiet place and commune in worship and praise and dialogue with your Creator. You can do so with your spouse or children, but the focus must be on praising God.


Ironically, when you are not writing may be the perfect time to prep your beautiful and inspiring prose. When you drive, do chores around the house, or work in the yard, listen to music that feeds your spirit. Several artists produce music that ushers you into the presence of God. Some of the artists I listen to are Grace Williams, Theresa Griffith, and Kim and Alberto Rivera. When I surround myself with such music during the day, at night I dream with that background music and I wake up with the music playing in my head. My spirit remains close to God, and I feel like a different person the next day, able to cope with the challenges that come my way.


Unfortunately I have been remiss lately about keeping myself soaked and stoked. As a result, my productivity has dropped off the charts. And my prayer life has slid down that slippery slope I had ascended recently. It just dawned on me as I type this that those three situations are directly connected. If you’re suffering from writer’s block, perhaps you need some spiritual fiber.


Listen to this music while you’re composing your brilliant work of literature. When writing, the key is to find music that does not dilute your concentration, but seeps into your spirit and soul while dialogue, description, and plot development flow from your brain to your fingertips. Ironically, the music can act as a divine hearing aid that allows the voice of the Spirit to penetrate, so you’re actually hearing on two levels as you multitask and create fictional masterpieces.


The Bible says that those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God. Galatians 5:16, 25 says, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh . . . If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (NKJV). (For a more complete treatise on this idea, check out http://www.bible411.org/devot/04feb4.html#25.) If you are walking in the Spirit, God will direct your steps, writing, and work like a precision laser-guided bomb. The work you produce may be read by only a few individuals, but if you help bring even one person to the eternal kingdom of God, will it not be worth it?


I’m often discouraged that my work goes under the radar of most of the world, but I keep coming back to the concept that the world is changed one life at a time, and maybe I’ve been commissioned to influence only specific people. I must be content with fulfilling the mission that God has given me. If I am faithful in the little things, He may bless me with bigger responsibilities. However, I must be content with my eternal rewards instead of lamenting the lack of temporal ones. When I look at it in that light, the quest for success pales in significance, and I am satisfied to labor on in the shadow of the manger and the cross.


So you see why I believe that every Christian author needs the Holy Ghost Writer to aid in his or her writing. I’d suggest you don’t visit the keyboard without Him. Where there is no vision, the people perish. Grab and hang on to the vision!



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