Last week’s post was about 3 simple things you can do to control your anxiety and have peace. In case you missed that post, you can read it here. Today I like to take a deeper look at journaling and how keeping a journal can enrich your life.
What is Journaling?
A Listening Heart
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Journaling is a way to capture your thoughts, feelings, and experiences in writing and process them.
I have journaled all through my life but twenty years ago, I became more intentional about journaling especially in regard to my relationship with God. For me, it is a way of going deeper in my walk with God and knowing and accepting myself. It helps me slow down, get quiet, and connect with myself on a deeper level. I use my journal in a variety of ways.
Enjoy A Deeper Relationship with God
My journal is an important part of my quiet and devotion time. I approach this time usually in the morning with prayer and ask the Lord to reveal himself to me through his Word. I also ask him to shine his light on areas where I need to grow. My daily steps are:
- Write three things I am thankful for.
- Read a passage of scripture and reflect on it with an open mind.
- Write any insights from the scripture, principles, or lessons that I can apply to my life.
- Make a note of what it would look like to apply this lesson.
- Write a prayer in response to insights and lessons. Ask for his help.
Journaling through scripture and applying the principles will enhance your relationship with God and also allow you to experience God and his peace in tangible ways.
Do you need to grow in your relationship with God? Incorporate journaling into your quiet time.
Working Through Difficult Emotions
Have you ever felt unsettled inside but couldn’t really pinpoint what was wrong? Working through your emotions with a pen and paper is one way to untangle yourself. I share my process for dealing with unruly emotions is below.
- Read Psalm 119:18.
- Pray and ask the Lord to open my eyes (spiritual) that I may see.
- Sit in silence for 5-10 minutes and tune in to my breathing.
- With pen in hand and open journal, I write in my journal as I work through the following questions:
- What am I feeling?
- Why am I feeling this way?
- Are there any upsetting events? What are my feelings about this event?
- Are there other possible explanations or perspectives that I am missing?
- What is in my control?
- What do I need to let go of?
Reading my response aloud and hearing my thoughts helps me sift the lies from truth. In prayer, I ask the Lord to help me yield control of my emotions to him and give me the courage to work on what is within my control. I also ask God for scripture verses that I can stand on.
Working on difficult emotions through journaling will give you clarity and help you create a plan to work on what is within your control and have peace.
What difficult emotions are you struggling with?
Making Decisions
Do you sometimes find it hard to make decisions? You are not alone. When I feel confused about making a decision, my journal comes in handy.
I find a quiet place for reflection and with pen in hand, open my journal. I write the pros and cons of the situation. At the end of journaling, I evaluate the pros and cons, pray, and ask for wisdom. Going through this process gives me peace about my decision. Even if I make a wrong decision, I trust God to lead me on the right path.
Are you wrestling with any decisions?
Benefits of Journaling
Journaling will help you:
- Increase self-awareness.
- Understand why you do what you do and change your behavior.
- Gain more clarity and explore new perspectives.
- Pay attention to your feelings, thoughts, and decisions.
- Increase your inner peace
In this post I have shared some ways I use my journal. You can journal about anything including your relationships, daily experiences, work, health, finances, struggles, and prayer requests. You can journal using a pen and a notebook or computer.
There is no “one size fit all approach” but feel free to experiment to find out what works for you. For more practical journaling prompts visit RZIM
Keeping a journal will change your life!
Do you keep a journal? How do you use your journal? Share your experience in the comments below.
Happy journaling!
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