This was a prayer written by William Barclay for use by writers, authors, journalists or speakers. I find it useful for bloggers like myself so I have mounted it on my ABOUT page as a prayer and reminder for myself.

O God, you gave me the gift and the responsibility of using words. Help me in all my writing and my speaking to be the servant of goodness, of beauty and of truth. Help me never to write or to say anything which would injure another’s innocence or take another’s faith away.

Help me never to write or say anything which would make that which is wrong more attractive, or which would soil the mind of anyone who reads or hears it.

Help me never to pander to that which is low, never to seek popularity at the expense of truth, never to be more concerned with sensations than with facts, and always to respect the feelings and the rights of other people.

Grant that all that I write or say be such that it can stand the scrutiny of my own conscience, and such that I could with a clear conscience offer it to you. This I ask for your love’s sake. Amen.

-William Barclay