What to pray for as a church creative

What do you do when you are in a design rut looking for inspiration? Or how about when a team member gave feedback you didn’t agree with on one of your designs? Or what if you’re feeling burnt out and unmotivated?

More often than not we turn to pinterest, our favorite church Instagram accounts, or seeking to confide in friends. Now, those aren’t bad in and of themselves—they are good gifts and tools the Lord has given us! But when did we stop turning to the feet of the Father first? 

Let’s look at a few things we can pray for together as church creatives!

  1. Humility 

Our work is not our own, and neither are the church’s accounts we post on. I think as designers it is easy to take pride in our work and want others to recognize it as well. Building confidence as a designer is a slow and steady process with lots of ups and downs, so I applaud you guys out there that feel confident in your work! However, our heart should be fixated on the One who has created us to do this work we love! 

I read a post recently that said it best: “The goal of our work is not for us to be recognized, but for the Lord to be recognized through our work.”

How cool is it that creating things we love actually brings people closer to the Father?! I pray that the Lord would continue to humble us. That we would surrender our plans to Him. That the gospel would be at the forefront of our minds throughout our weeks and also when we are working on new projects. Would the Lord use us to display His character through our work!

  1. Rest

Man oh man am I still navigating how to rest well. It seems like when I have busy weeks, physical and mental rest are the first things thrown out the door. I oftentimes sacrifice extra hours of sleep to get school work or projects done and don’t take adequate time to rest and be still. 

Something that was really convicting during a Sunday sermon this year was over 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. This passage is over fleeing from impurity, but our pastor paused on verses 19-20 for a little bit longer. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own…” 

He gave the example of borrowing someone else’s car for the weekend and how we take better care of things that aren’t our own. You would be extra careful driving the car around town. Maybe you would even get it washed at the end of the day! Why do we not treat our own bodies in the same way? It is literally where the Spirit dwells in us; its home! The Spirit that guides us in conversation, in sanctification, and also in our creative life! 

I pray that we would slow down. That we would be still before the Lord. I pray that He would give us discernment on when to say yes and no to projects and the courage to do so. That we would take intentional time to fill up our cups and realize our work serves no one when they’re empty. 

  1. Gospel conversations

Maybe you do outreach in your position, or maybe you don’t – either way, let’s be looking for opportunities to have gospel conversations (even if it’s not technically in your job description)!

I think one easy way to do this is to just have your eyes up and open when you’re doing your weekly Sunday tasks. Say hi to someone new when you’re walking around getting content for socials, or introduce yourself to a group of people and ask to get a photo of them! As a photographer, I am almost conditioned to try to not be noticeable. I often lurk in the back or try to stay out of peoples’ way when I’m getting the shots I need. But so many life-giving conversations can happen with a simple “hello.”

Are big social gatherings not really your style? Invite someone to lunch or coffee! Maybe spend time with someone who also shows interest in design, photography, or social media — ask God for opportunities to love and pour into those people!

I think it’s also easy to have the lie that our work “isn’t as important” creep in when comparing creative jobs to other church positions focused on outreach. Just because our role looks different doesn’t mean it’s not important or serving a purpose.

I pray that we would not put ourselves in a “designer box” and that we would still be chasing after the task at hand: to go and make disciples. Would the Lord give us opportunities to share and would He guide our words in gospel conversations.

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