“A life worth living is worth recording.” —Lynn D. Morrissey
When I began writing the Journal Your Journey blog, it was difficult for me to know exactly when to expound upon the great benefits of journaling. Would I share my journaling passion at the outset, let you “take the plunge” and discover the rewards on your own, or detail them as we went along?
Because there is a treasure trove of journaling gems, I thought that if unearthed them immediately, you wouldn’t believe me. Now that you are journaling your own journey, I pray that the benefits are obvious. However, if you are still not convinced, now might be an appropriate time to enumerate some. Because journaling benefits are as unlimited as the creativity of each individual who journals, I suspect that I will sing the praises of journaling until the cows come home and as long as I am writing this blog!
Let’s begin by defining the word journal. Is it the same as the word diary? Technically, they are synonymous. Journal comes from the French word jornel and means daily. Diary derives from the Latin diurnal, which also means daily. Journals and diaries are blank books used to chronicle our daily lives. However, in our society, I believe that there is a real distinction made between the two. Most people think of diaries as books in which people record daily events, while journals are used to elaborate upon our reactions to them. Journals beckon our emotional response.
I distinguish between prayer journals and spiritual journals, as well. When I journal my prayers, I write word-for-word what I am saying directly to God. In a spiritual journal, I simply write about my walk with Him in narrative form. Both types of journaling are important, but if you only have time for one, please prayer-journal, invoking God’s power and presence into your circumstances. Sometimes people ask me if keeping a list of prayers, dates, and answers constitutes a prayer journal. While I think this type of excellent record is evidence of God’s faithfulness, it is not the same as praying.
All forms of prayer are Scriptural, whether verbal, silent, or written. Because journaling takes longer, why bother? Why not just talk aloud to God?
First, we have a responsibility to keep. God commands us to “pray without ceasing.” In fact, 1 Samuel 12:23 refers to prayerlessness as sin in the believer’s life. I personally find that journaling keeps me more accountable to meet my responsibility to pray, because it is visible. My journal becomes a tangible reminder that I need to pray. I cannot tell you the number of times that I forget to pray; then I see my journal setting on my desk or a table. My journal beckons me to write in it.
Second, we have a relationship to nurture. Yes, God expects us to pray, but not simply to become responsible Christians. God longs for us to nurture a personal relationship with Him, and you can only develop intimacy with God by spending time with Him and getting to know Him. I have found that more than any other kind of prayer, journaling helps me to become intimate with God by slowing me down. Frankly, it takes time more time to write to God than to speak to Him. Yes, I know that your time, like mine, is lmited. However (and we’ll talk more about this later), journaling to the Lord will be so incredible, that you will not begrudge this time spent with Him; it will become the highlight of your day!
Third, we have a response to make. Metaphorically speaking, God is a writer. He has written His love letter, the Bible, to you. You, who are created in God’s image, are writers too! Don’t you think that if God made a point to write His messages of love to you, that He just might like to receive a written response?
Should you are wonder if journaling is Scriptural, seal this verse written by King David in the Psalms, in your heart: “My heart is overflowing with a beautiful thought! I will write [my verses] to the King, for I am as full of words as the speediest writer pouring out his story (Psalm 45:1,TLB).”
Fourth, we have a record to keep. God told the Israelites to write His commands on the doorposts of their houses (Deuteronomy 6:9). I believe one reason He instructed them to do this is because He knew that spoken words are evanescent: They vanish the moment we say them. Because God’s commands were necessary for life, He wanted them to be written so they would be permanent and accurate, not altered in the oral retelling through the generations. In turn, your journal will become a record of remembrance, your permanent spiritual history of your interactions with the Lord. Over the years, you might recall the highlights of God’s intervention in your life, but you will never remember your spiritual walk in all its depth and intricacy if you don’t write it down.
My teaching trademark is, “A life worth living is worth recording.” What more important use could you make of your time than to record your walk with the Lord? What better gift could you give your progeny?
These rewards of journaling are just the tip of the ice berg. We’ll explore more next time. In the meantime, here is . . .
Your Invitation . . . You are invited to express genuine gratitude to God for His amazing gift of journaling. Write a thank-you letter to Him in your journal, praising Him for His gift of writing, with which helps you stay accountable to Him, helps you to become intimate with Him, helps you respond to Him in meaningful, expressive ways, and helps you to keep a permanent record of your walk with Him and His faithfulness to you. For what are you waiting? Your life with God is worth your time; it is worth recording!
© Lynn D. Morrissey. Permission to reprint any or all of this material is required
