Introduction 

I have long thought that Old Testament prophets were not secretaries of the divine Master. Yahweh did not dictate to them the words they wrote down. Rather, the prophets had learned well the contents of Torah and what Yahweh wanted from His people. 

The prophets looked at the society around them and saw how different people were from Yahweh’s ideal. They began to write what they thought of the social situations and the Spirit breathed into their minds the things He wanted them to record. This process of inspiration has worked on me.

Heart-Moving Song

Some years ago, I was moved/ inspired to write a murder mystery. It involved a former prostitute and the deacon of a church. Linda (Spanish for pretty) prayerfully prepared the way for a troupe of former prostitutes to sing in churches around the state. The Princess Performers presented a musical program that spoke a message of release from bondage to the sex trade and to sexual abuse.

Their opening song gave thanks to the church people for allowing them the opportunity to present their program. I am not a poet, but I began to write the lyrics of the song and Holy Spirit gave me the words to write.

We are glad that you invited us

              To come to where you worship

We all want to stay awhile

              And have good fellowship

We also want to bring to you

              A message of salvation

Tidings of deliverance

              For this holy congregation

Reach out your hand to God today

              And put your trust in Him

He will take you far away

              From doing Satan’s whim

We raise our joyful voices now

              Unto our God and King

The things that He has done for us

              Just make us want to sing

These Princess Performers were rescued from bondage to sex slavery and taught to know God the Father and Jesus the Son. As their song said, they joyfully sang praises and brought a message of rescue from bondage.

Inspired Foreshadowing

I also get inspired to add a minor detail or scene to a story. This can become a major part of the story later or of a later story.

In my third Gathering of Misfits novel, I took the unwed, teen mother- to-be to Keller’s Tavern to celebrate turning eighteen. Vicky enjoyed moving in her seat to the music, and a rich- looking, young gentleman invited her to dance. Afterward, Vicky repelled her father’s attempts to bring her back under bondage to his sexual abuse.

I later looked for main characters to further the Gathering of Misfits story of influencing the sex slavery industry in their new city. I remembered Vicky’s dance with Andrew Kalejs III. This turned into a story of her adopting her princess persona to hold her own in Andrew’s elite social setting. It also became a story of the Third turning his family away from their part in the sex slave industry.

Literary Genius of Biblical Writers

Tim Mackey of the Bible Project often says that those who wrote down the Bible stories were literary geniuses. Inspired by Yahweh, they followed the divine agenda in recording these stories and including the writings of these prophets. That was the process of inspiration.

Steeped in these writings and instructed by Holy Spirit, Jesus taught His followers and apprentices the Father’s vision for a people rescued from bondage to ungodly attitudes and behaviors. Likewise, Paul proclaimed, under the inspiration of Holy Spirit, the Kingdom of Jesus and the rescue from bondage to the principalities and powers that ruled among the Gentiles (nations).