The Art of Journaling
"Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets, that the one who reads it may run." - Habakkuk 2:2
Journaling is simply a way of recording your journey with God. It is listening and responding. By keeping a record you can see what God’s been doing, how far you’ve come and where you’re going. I started journaling early on. I probably have about 50 journals in my basement. When I first started journaling I simply wrote down my feelings. A lot of it had to do with what particular season I was in. Unfortunately my early journals were more like letters to "Dear Abby." I mean I was fourteen! But as I continued to journal, I evolved and so did my journaling. The first step is to get a journal. The second step is....start writing. If this is your first time journaling you might want to start out writing down a verse, examine it, and then answering a few question about it. Two questions that are always good to ask are the two questions asked by the disciples on the Day of Pentecost. 1. What does this mean? (Acts 2:12b) 2. What shall we do? (Acts 2:37) This two questions came on the heels of Jesus' death and resurrection, when the Holy Sprit ascended. Can you think of any better questions to ask as we rely on the Holy Spirit to reveal truth?!💜 Writing in my journal helps me slow down for a few moments and actually think about and absorb the passage I have just read. We live in a busy society. We go from one event to the next, one thought to the next, one conversation to the next but never consider the significance of each. Journaling can be a tool the Spirit uses to help us connect the dots of the things occurring in our lives and help us focus on God at the center of it all. Remember that there is no right or wrong way to journal. It is simply getting your thoughts on paper. This is how the Lord talks to us, through our thoughts. Here is question to ponder as you consider journaling... Can thoughts be prayers?! Think about this question because how you answer it can determine how you journal and how you pray. I am not a Theologian, but here is what I DO know about God...
He is Creator - He created the world and EVERYTHING in it, including you and me.
He is All-Knowing - He knows everything about us.
He is Infinite - He has no boundaries. There is nothing He can't do.
He is Ever-present - There is not a sliver of space that He is not.
If all of this is true, don’t you think that God can speak to us through our thoughts? Get into the habit of writing down your thoughts whether you think they are right or wrong. God will begin to make things clear as we process our hearts with him. After all, this is what he wants us to do, invite Him in.
