A Journal Helps You Listen to God

A good friend of mine, Walt Kaminski, told me how he was enjoying The Daily Discipleship Journal. He said, "You know, John, I am really getting so much out of my journal because I know I have to write something down. And because I have to write something down, I am really listening intently to what it is that God wants to say to me each day." Walt's observation is true; keeping a journal forces you to be a listener!

A Journal is a Book of Remembrance . . .

In his book, The Making of a Man of God, Alan Redpath writes, "It has been a habit for many years to keep a spiritual diary. Maybe you do the same. I have kept it now for some twenty-five years or more, and I can look back over those years and know what I was doing on any particular day in any particular year."

Imagine keeping a written record of all the important occurrences of your lifetime. A precious senior citizen came up to me after I had given the Hearing God's Voice presentation at a church in Bullhead City, Arizona. Referring to the above quote, she exclaimed, "I've got one up on Alan Redpath! He kept his for twenty-five years; I have been keeping my journal now for fifty-three years!" What a tremendous blessing it would be to be able to read your journal entry for January 15, 1942 or October 16, 1968 and see what marvelous things God was doing in your life at that time!

A Journal is a Book of Thanksgiving to God . . .

Use your journal to measure your spiritual growth. Someone has wisely stated that if you are not growing daily in the Lord, then you are backsliding. There really is no such thing as standing still spiritually; "you are either hot or you're not!" Because you will be making journal entries on a daily basis, you can actually use your spiritual diary to measure your progress from day to day, month to month, year to year.

You can ask yourself these deeply personal questions:

Am I alive today spiritually?

Is the Creator of the Universe speaking to me? If so, what is He saying?

Do I have a secret sin I need to confess?

Does my walk reflect that of Jesus in the Gospels?

How is my testimony; my relationship with others?

A Journal Helps You Reflect in Times of Doubt . . .

In any work of God we can anticipate the enemy to try to sway or discourage us. Doubts will set in and oftentimes we will want to quit and give up. If we have maintained the discipline of journal keeping, we can refer back to those promises from the Lord and remember with confidence that He has been leading us. It is so much easier to fend off these attacks when we can be strengthened by reminding ourselves of God's leading in times of doubt.

A Journal Leaves a Legacy for Posterity . . .

After hearing about the value of journal keeping in the Hearing God's Voice presentation, I have had several people tell me their story. One woman, for example, told me how she had been rummaging through the attic and found one of her grandfather's old prayer journals. She remembered him being a devout believer, but she was amazed at the depth of his walk as she began to read his spiritual diary. "I know I am saved today," she confided with teary eyes, "because my grandpa prayed for me."

Imagine one of your grandchildren picking up your journals and exclaiming, "Wow, grandma really loved the Lord. Just look at the way Jesus spoke to her through His Word!"

A Journal is Your Recorded Testimony . . .

Your testimony, as special and unique as it is, is a record of Jesus' faithful work in the world today. You should write down your testimony, memorize it and be willing to share it with others. The work that the Lord does in our personal lives is a very real witness to a lost world. While they may refuse to believe the Bible they cannot deny the supernatural work of God that has transpired in your own life.

Remember Peter's words from 1 Peter 3:15, "Always be prepared to give an answer, or defense, to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." By writing down God's specific dealings with you, you can share this with others to convince them of the work God has done in your life, and this they can't deny!

WHAT DO YOU RECORD IN A JOURNAL?

1. Your impressions from Scripture
2. Insights from Sermons and Bible Studies
3. Prayer Requests and Answers to Prayer
4. Your Worries, Fears, Concerns and Heartaches
5. Gratitude for God's Faithfulness and Promises
6. Instrumental People along Life's Journey
7. Important Milestones
8. Quotes and Life Illustrations