The Discipline of Journaling Part #2

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Catey Stover in Freedom Fighters

This is part two of the Freedom Fighter from last week on journaling.

  1. Journaling helps us to reject bad habits. In addition to charting your progress in a positive way, journaling also helps us to identify patterns in our lives that need to be addressed. When I am struggling, I journal about my experience and what lessons I have learned.

    Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that we will all face temptation. But he goes on to reminds us that God is always faithful, and He will provide a way of escape. For me, when I am facing sin in my life, it is helpful for me to write about the temptation I have faced. I ask myself the question, “Did God provide a way of escape?” What was that way of escape? Did I choose to sin deliberately, or did I take the way of escape that He provided? I will record this in my journal.

  2. Journaling helps reinforce good habits in my life. At the beginning of the year, I have disciplined myself to set goals for my life. Some are personal; some are ministry-related; many are spiritual goals. I will write about the good habits that I want to develop in my life:

 

Flossing twice a day
Exercise
Eating nutritiously
I want to read XXX number of books this year.

I record my goals on a 4X6 card and then paste it in my journal so I can review them often.

 

George Whitefield had a list of questions that he kept in his journal:

 

Have I,

  1. Been fervent in prayer?
  2. Used stated hours of prayer?
  3.  Used vocal prayer each hour?
  4. After or before every deliberate conversation or action, considered how it might tend to God’s glory.
  5. After any pleasure, immediately given thanks?
  6. Planned business for the day?
  7. Been simple and recollected in everything?
  8. Been zealous in undertaking and active in doing what good I could?
  9. Been meek, cheerful, affable in everything I said or did?
  10. Been proud, vain, unchaste, or enviable of others?
  11. Recollected in eating and drinking? Thankful? Temperate in sleep?
  12. Taken time for giving thanks according to William Laws rules?
  13. Been diligent in studies?
  14. Thought or spoken unkindly of anyone?
  15. Confessed all sins?

 

Journaling provides for your family a historical record of God’s faithfulness and His work in your life. My wife’s Mom had all these pieces of paper in her Bible with dates and notes as to the things God was teaching her. Our daughter Laura challenged her to start a journal and it turned in her publishing a 365 daily devotional.

As a Christian, your journal is a place to record the works and ways of God in your life. Your journal can also include an account of daily events, a diary of personal relationships, a notebook of insights into Scripture, and a list of prayer requests. – Donald Whitney

More next week. Thanks for joining me on the journey.

Set apart for more,

Bill Welte/President/CEO
America’s Keswick

Written by Bill Welte, President/CEO of America’s Keswick: Bill has been married to his childhood sweetheart for 40+ years and has four married kids and 11 amazing grandkids. He loves music and is an avid reader.


Think About This: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” “Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.” from the journal of Jim Elliot

The Daily Bible Reading: Numbers 24-28 | You can download our 2020 Daily Bible Reading Plan by clicking here. 

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High. –Psalm 7:17

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the doctrinal and theological views held by America’s Keswick.

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