Journaling With God
"Then He said to them, 'Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.'" — Mark 4:24-25
Journaling is one of the best ways to process, record and protect the things God is speaking to us. Even those with the best memories cannot recall every lesson learned from scripture or every impression from the Spirit. Think of a journal as a treasure chest where we store up the priceless revelations God is giving us. These revelations can come through various means (see post on Hearing God).
One way is through Scripture. Wayne Cordeiro outlines the SOAP method for journaling through the Bible in his book, The Divine Mentor.
Scripture: As you read a passage of scripture, take time to let God speak. Do not try to speed through the text, but learn to listen as you read. Jesus said that, "My sheep hear My voice" (John 10:27). Listen with expectation!
Observation: Ask Holy Spirit to teach and reveal Jesus to you. Ask Him what He is saying and write down the part of scripture that stands out to you. Write any impressions that come as you read the text.
Application: It is important to personalize what you have read. How does this apply to your life right now? What encouragement, lesson, instruction, correction or revelation is there for you? Write out how this applies to you right now.
Prayer: Of course, prayer is happening throughout this entire process, but now take time to really focus and ask God to give more illumination and revelation on this scripture. And then listen. Remember, prayer involves two-way communication. Write down the things you sense He is saying.
Other ways God speaks are impressions from the Spirit, dreams, visions, prophetic words or divinely ordered circumstances. It is important to write these down in order to remember what God is speaking.
Journaling shows the high regard we have for the things God is saying to us and makes a statement of faith that says: We believe God speaks; we will listen carefully to Him; we will treasure His every word; and we will carefully obey everything He says.