Proverbs 16:3 — Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
This week I have shared with you my experience with journaling and the benefits I have found with journaling. As I have shared, there is no right or wrong way to journal. Journaling can be as formal or relaxed as you choose. In order for journaling to be successful, it needs to be a format that works best for your current lifestyle. My prayer for each of you as you journal is that you prayerfully consider journaling, commit your work to God, and surrender your will. Then allow God to direct your steps. He will lead you toward the best type of journaling for you.
Let’s pray. Dear God, guide and direct me as I write down my thoughts with You. May the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Psalm 102:18 NIV — Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord:
This week I have been sharing with you my experience with journaling and the benefits I have found with journaling. As I have shared, my journaling has occurred in different types of books and has taken various formats. While my journals are deeply personal and specific to me and my faith journey, I also pray my journals will benefit my family and as in today’s scripture, “a future generation.”
I imagine that when I am gone, my family may read through some of my journals or they simply may toss them in the trash. Nevertheless, my journals are evidence of prayers that have been prayed. Although no one else may ever read my journals, I have prayed the prayers that will affect the future. Isn’t that an awesome realization. God will use my prayers to produce future fruit that I may or may not see. God will use my faith journey for His glory. SDG=Soli Deo Gloria=glory to God alone!
Has God led you to journal your prayers and concerns? What format do you use? We would love to hear from you through social media or email: waterwalkers29@gmail.com
Let’s pray. Dear God, guide and direct me as I write down my thoughts with You. May the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Luke 17:11-19 NIV — Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
God blesses us in so many ways every day. Not only do we have big things to be thankful for such as family, friends, jobs, health, etc., but we also have moment-to-moment blessings. We often overlook these blessings because we are so caught up in our busy schedules. However when we are not present and intentional about looking for blessings we zoom on through life without giving thanks to God just like the nine lepers. This week I am sharing with you my experience with journaling and the benefits I have found with journaling. Today I share my practice of keeping a gratitude journal.
Gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. The one leper showed his gratitude by coming back, throwing himself at Jesus’ feet and praising Jesus. Years ago I chose a small notebook to be my gratitude journal and wrote down five gratitudes at the end of the day as I would wind down. Over the years I have changed and now write my gratitudes each morning as I end my devotion time with God. I write my gratitudes in addition to my thoughts and prayer journaling. The time of day you choose to write down your gratitudes is not important. Write them down on a piece of paper or in the notes on your phone. However I must warn you, creating the habit of this daily practice will change your perspective and your attitude. Before you know it people may accuse you of having an “attitude of gratitude.”
Let’s pray. Dear God, guide and direct me as I write down my thoughts with You. May the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Habakkuk 2:2-3 NIV — Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; It will certainly come and will not delay.”
In today’s featured scripture, God tells Habakkuk to write down the revelation. This week I am sharing with you my experience with journaling and the benefits I have found with journaling.
My first journal was strictly a prayer journal. I wrote letters to God that spelled out my joys and prayer concerns. It was a lot like a diary to God. Over the years my journaling has consisted of bulleted or lists of prayer items, scriptures that have spoken to me at the time, or revelations I have experienced. Yesterday I shared that whatever format you choose for your journal that it all be kept together somehow. Just as Habakkuk wrote down the “revelation,” so it could be read later, you will want to be able to go back to your journal to reflect on answered prayers. When I go back to my journal and reflect on past prayers, I like to use a different colored pen than I had used to make notes about the answered prayers. Reading and reflecting on my journals gives me the opportunity to see the hand of God and His works.
What has been your experience with journaling? Perhaps you have some pointers to share with us. We would love to hear from you through social media or email: waterwalkers29@gmail.com
Let’s pray. Dear God, guide and direct me as I write down my thoughts with You. May the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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This week I am sharing with you my experience with journaling and the benefits I have found with journaling. Every day is not perfect in my journaling journey, but perhaps God will highlight something that sparks inspiration for you. As we prepare for the week ahead prayerfully listen to God Is In This Story by Katy Nichole and Big Daddy Weave.
I pray that this week you have been able to reflect with God on your Christian living. In doing so, has God shown you areas that He wants you to strengthen or improve? No one, exceptJesus, has ever lived a perfect life. We all have faults and fall short. However, God calls us to constantly examine our walk, ask for His help, and prayerfully strive to improve. Others are watching and making judgments about what it means to be a Christian. May each of us reflect Christ and when we don’t may we surrender our faults, repent, and try again. Reflect, remorse, repent, refine, repeat.
Psalms 16:11 NIV — You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasure at your right hand.
This week we have been examining our words and actions as Christians. On Wednesday, I reminded you that none of us are without faults. Enjoy a laugh by reading the below funny stories that remind us about our Christian living. Our daily living is a reflection of our fruit.
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A cheating painting contractor had been skimping by thinning his paint excessively. Nevertheless, he landed a big job painting a church. He was almost done when a major storm blew up. It washed all the paint off.
Amid the thunder and lightning, there came a loud voice… “REPAINT,” it boomed. “REPAINT, AND THIN NO MORE!”
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A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.
As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, “I’m very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Follow Me to Sunday School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, Naturally … I assumed you had stolen the car.”
