The “Prompts” from God
“Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21 NKJV)
For a recent writers’ retreat I attended in southwestern Virginia, one of our members named Anne lovingly made each of us a homemade “Becorn,” her copied version of tiny woodland creations by David M. Bird.* It’s one of the happiest gifts I’ve ever received!
My author friend had watched Bird’s video on how to make these little people.* Then she proceeded to make her own versions of Becorns out of acorns and twigs from her yard.
Our little gifts, though, came with homework to do. We writers were instructed to name our Becorns and then write a story about them on an index card, to be shared with each other at suppertime.
It was a perfect opportunity to use our imaginations while gazing out at meadows and mountain woodlands. I named my little person “Wrenlet” because of her fashionable bird-feather boa. Her whimsical smile inspired me to make her character a bit mischievous, too. It was fun!
Anne’s writing assignment is known as a “prompt”—a question or statement to provoke an answer in a short essay, often under the duress of limited time. In this case, our Becorns were three-dimensional objects to inspire us to create a character description.
There are other kinds of prompts as well. The messages of the Holy Spirit in His word are prompts from God—commandments He directs me to take to heart, acting on them as He opens the doors. Often, these can be opportunities for creativity.
Some of God’s prompts are merely nudges, especially the easy ones…like bringing someone to mind so I can pray for them, or wearing a smile when people are frowning, or talking about Jesus to strangers. I like listening for these moments from the Holy Spirit, and I’m happy to comply.
But then there are the tough prompts…the ones that involve making sacrifices or overcoming temptations or doing things that make me cringe. How do I handle those? Usually with procrastination or making excuses.** I’m loathe to dive into these assignments from God, preferring to withdraw or simply ignore them. But that’s never a good thing.
God’s word is loud and adamant on “sins of commission.” And Satan loves it when we act out his evildoing so he can triumph (temporarily) over God’s laws.
But the “sins of omission” attract less fanfare. These are the moments when we neglect to act on godly missions. The apostle Paul brings these sins to light as he talks about the evil living in us: “For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.” (Romans 7:19 NKJV)
How do we combat these more inconspicuous sins? I don’t have any easy answers, but it’s good to remind myself of this—that when the Holy Spirit speaks to me, I need to listen and not tune Him out, even when He talks in a whisper. Even when the task is hard. Even when I’d much rather be doing something more pleasant.
The truth is that God can use us in remarkable ways when we abandon self-centered thinking. And when we respond to His prompts for serving in His kingdom, we often find that we are encouraged to do more. We find creative ways to go above and beyond.
For me, obedience often means revising my own agenda. I have to make my calendar flexible enough to actively schedule “appointments” for God’s interruptions. And I have to avoid being so busy that I miss His whispers.
How about you? Got any good ideas for me? Leave them in the comments section or on the contact page of my website. Send me your prayer requests, too, and I’ll pray for you.
Hope your week is as happy and inspirational as my Wrenlet Becorn! And I hope you’ll find excitement in responding to the prompts God sends you!
Holy Spirit, I praise You for giving me good things to do for your people, even when they come disguised as interruptions. Forgive me for ignoring Your voice—speak loudly in the midst of my mental clutter so I won’t miss your calls. Inspire me to be creative in encouraging others. And help me to always fulfill Your prompts in the fullness of Your love. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
*David M. Bird is a designer/photographer who lives in Rhode Island and devises stories and images for his Becorn people interacting with wildlife. You can find out more at https://www.davidmbird.com or looking at this YouTube video— https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3auU2OIe_gA. You can’t help but smile while looking at these!
**(See my recent blog on making excuses instead of answering God, https://nancycwilliams.com/2025/10/06/no-more-excuses/.)
Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom.
© Copyright 2025 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #prompts #becorn #HolySpirit
