Journaling=My Worship
Author: Kelly Packard
July 24, 2022
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and
active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and
of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions
of the heart.”
The word of God is living and active. Capable of live
interaction. It CAN be more than engaging cognitively with the words on a page
as a method of information collection. It CAN be more than carefully applying the
information to this earthly life with sincere obedience.
It IS God revealing Himself through His word in a deeply
personal way that has the power to transform, sanctify, and conform my life to
His image.
Communion and communication with my Savior have found its
perfect fit in my life in the form of journaling. As I sit with Jesus, and open
the word of God, a live interaction is taking place. Yes, I do have a pen and a
journal in hand, yet my description of what is taking place is...
Worship.
All Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16). As I sit
with the living and active word of God, there is a real live relational
exchange taking place. I acknowledge who God is, and my position in relation to
who He is. I acknowledge the rightful place of God in my heart, spirit, and
soul.
I worship with pen and paper. I journal.
What is journaling and how does it become worship of my Savior?
My journaling documents my living relationship with God, made possible through
the redemptive work of Christ on the cross. Journaling encompasses all of life,
from lament to gratitude, and everything in between.
Pen in my hand, and paper upon which I write, I actively
listen. I write down the treasures and knowledge of my Father as He reveals
Himself through Scripture. His word is His voice to me. On any given day, my
journal includes my heart’s expression of my current challenges, gut-level
frustrations, and deep grief. It also includes prayer requests, praises for
answered prayers, affirmation of trust in God for those prayers yet unanswered,
and a celebration of God’s faithfulness.
I love writing Scripture word for word. It saturates my mind
and seeps deep into by being. It reminds me, in written form, of God’s promises
and His faithfulness. Journaling reaffirms my hope. Hope is only as good as the
object of your hope. Jesus is the object of my hope. Journaling reaffirms my hope.
Journaling fits me. I was born internally and externally
high octane. I have always needed to be busy and thrive best with an overload
of activity. As a 2-year-old, would get
up in the middle of the night, turn on every light in the house, and play with
my toys. My Momma still revisits my need for activity.
In God’s perfect design and mercy, journaling allows my busy
mind to track with His word. Journaling, as an expression of worship, has been
uniquely provided for me as I experience my relationship with Jesus in an
active way.
As I journal, I worship. As I worship, I journal. Journaling
restores my spiritual equilibrium. The Word is alive, and therefore capable of discerning
my thoughts. It functions as a filter for the many permeating ideas of the
world. It leads me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24).
Perhaps it would be helpful to provide several commonalities
of my journaling as prompts if you are new to journaling as a form of worship.
May God, in His complete goodness, bless your journaling experience to be
unique to the complexity of your intricate design. Happy Journaling!
Journal Prompts:
*Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to REVEAL His truths through
His written word (Deuteronomy 29:29).
*Write down what is revealed. Often it exposes my impure
thoughts, motives, and desires. It creates awareness, confession of sin, and
the realignment of my heart to Him.
*Write down word for word the Scriptures that seem to be
speaking to you. It is a way of saturating the mind with truth, and it also
functions as unintentional Scripture memory (smile).
*Praise the Lord through focusing on His faithfulness,
goodness, and trustworthiness. When anxiety creeps in about a certain subject, flip
back to the pages in your journal specific to this topic, and reread those
passages that have comforted you and provided guidance previously.
*Pour out your heart in words. No need to write in full
sentences. Allow the freedom to be random. It can be raw and grammatically incorrect.
Lament while keeping focused on His truth. Express gratitude which has its
perfect way of balancing the lament.
*Periodically, I look back in my journal and write TY next
to previous pray requests. The TY represents “thank you” to God for His
faithfulness. It infuses my hope for future trials.
Blessings as you journal. Blessings as you worship.
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