3 Ways Writing Poetry Can Bring You Closer to God

It wasn’t until I started writing poetry for myself that I realised how truly powerful it can be.

I started writing poetry at a difficult time in my life and found it was a helpful way for me to experience healing and understand myself better.

But what I never expected was that poetry would also draw me closer to God.

Maybe you’ve also found this to be true, or maybe you hope writing poetry can help you feel near to our Heavenly Father.

Believe me, it can.

Let’s look at three ways poetry can help bring you closer to God.

1. You can use poetry to pray.

Poetry and prayer often go hand in hand. Consider the Psalms – how the writers pour out their hearts to God through songs and poems.

Consider spending some time writing poetry to God. This can be either uplifting praise or passionate lamenting. Where is your heart at right now? Are you grieving? Angry at God? Or perhaps you are full of joy and adoration for the Lord.

God wants us to come before Him as we are. What better way to do this than through poetry? Let the Holy Spirit move through you as you write and bring your whole self before God.

2. You can reflect the character of God.

Ponder this verse in Genesis 1:27.

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

In the very first chapter of the Bible, we are told that God created humans in His own image – meaning, to reflect Him.

Our creative God made us to be creative too.

But that’s not all. God also designed us to feel the same emotions He does. Throughout the Bible, we see God get angry. We see him full of joy. And we see Him with a sad heart.

Poetry is an invitation to express these emotions freely. We can become more deeply connected with God when we give ourselves permission to lean into the creative, deep-feeling part of us that He purposely designed us to have.

3. You can gain a deeper understanding of His role in your story.

Writing poetry is a process of reflection. It’s a beautiful moment where we are able to take stock of our thoughts and feelings, and process what is happening in our lives.

It’s so important to carve out these moments for reflection, because they help you understand how God is working in your life.

When you slow down, you can see where God has been working to heal you, where He’s been growing you and shaping you to be more like Him. You can see the times when His love has washed over you, when He’s brought someone into your life at just the right moment. You can see where He has blessed you abundantly or carried you through a difficult time.

Writing poetry is an opportunity for you to notice all these beautiful moments. He’s never left you. He’s been writing your story this whole time.

Beautiful poet, I want to encourage you to keep pursuing your passion for poetry. He is writing stories in your life that nobody can tell but YOU.

If you want to learn more about how you can share your unique gift and story through poetry, I encourage you to check out the Purpose-Rooted Poetry Course: The Christian Poet’s Guide to Sharing Your Story.

In this digital course, I give you and tools and encouragement you need to confidently and creatively share your story.

There is a place for your poems and I want to help you find it.

No matter where you are in your journey as a poet or as a Christian, this course will meet you there and help you move forward with a beautiful sense of purpose behind you.