did you know he could also write? Indeed, multiplatinum recording artist
Michael W. Smith is readying to release his 12th book in March 2011.
Dubbed A Simple Blessing; The
Extraordinary Power of an Ordinary Prayer, the Grammy- and GMA Dove
Award-winning recording artist is working to communicate a key message: God’s
blessings are measured more by flourishing character in adversity than the
flourishing of possessions.
“The story God
wrote has a happy-ever-after ending that promises eternal joy to those who
focus on the pure and lovely and adopt true character into their lives,” Smith
says. “If we focus our eyes and ears on things that give us glimpses of that
happy reality, it will go a long way toward enabling us to receive the
blessings God wants to pour into us.”
Smith
collaborated with writer Thomas Williams to produce the manuscript. The idea
for the book was birthed through stories Smith has heard about those hardest-hit
by life-changing devastation, from the impact of the recession to families
losing loved ones in natural disasters.
Smith’s stated
goal with A Simple Blessing is to
encourage and inspire readers to examine their hearts and learn to experience
God’s blessing as well as to speak words of blessing to others to draw them
nearer to the heart of God.
Smith
demonstrates this concept at the end of his concerts, where he prays a blessing
over the audience. The book is organized into six chapters, each of which
explains the value of the blessings he prays over his audience and offers
practical advice on how to receive the blessing.
