One of my favorite discoveries in all the years of my Christian walk is how thoroughly the Father knows me. He knows how He created me and who He created me to be. HE knows the plans HE has for me. One of the ways that this has been solidified over and over is through my practice of intimate journaling.
Journaling is simply the act of processing of paper. An act of emptying your mind and heart, a place to be still and align your thoughts with the thoughts of your Heavenly Father. It’s not this huge task to accomplish, it’s simply an avenue to empty and explore. No pressure to perform or “get it right”.
As I have grown in maturity as a Christian it’s interesting to look back over the years in my notebooks, journals. The biggest thing I’ve noticed from the early years of my “prayers” is they have switched from a lot of pleading and striving to thankfulness and trust. I’ve always written in one form or another from the age of twelve, it started with poetry and creative writing. Then when I became a born again Christian I turned to writing my prayers, thoughts, and dreams down. It was a dark time for me in the early to mid nineties and the Lord was my only light. So I got in the habit of talking to Him through pen and paper. Sometimes when you don’t feel like you have a voice or are silenced by another, journaling is the best way to speak up. We have to be able to express what is inside of us or it will eventually cause us to become ill. Whether that be through writing, painting, dancing, singing, teaching etc. The list goes on. We were given a voice for a reason and that was meant to even be creatively. I can testify to what Ray Hughes says, “Impression without expression leads to depression”.
There is so much truth in that. I lived it.
Little did I know the journey of journaling would take me on. How intimate I became with the LORD and how so much creativity was birthed in the process. I look back twenty three years now of my intentional journaling practice and see that it was more than good. I have boxes and boxes of journals and notebooks, not to mention little notes I find stuffed in books or bibles along the way. Scriptures that were key to me I would write down in a little bound index card book. I would read the Word, write the Word and then recite the Word. And some days even sing the Word. I would carry that little index card book around with me in my purse and when I had any down time, I would read it and recite it outloud. (Faith comes by hearing ;) ) Then I would flip the page and do it again. I was renewing my mind actively and intentionally. For example, I would do this in the car line for pick up at school or waiting in the doctors office during my many many appointments. I was determined to know and experience the Word of God in my life. One of the things journaling helped me to do was to envision my prayers, envision my dreams and conversation with the LORD. I have been given vision after vision from Him to encourage, guide and help me persevere over the years. Sight, whether naturally or spiritually, is a powerful tool. Look at the addictions that arise from the perversion in the world with of our sight. That is why we have to guard our hearts, minds, and eyes along with keeping our spirits built up by staying in communication with Him. The eyes are the windows to the soul. Something powerful happens when we “see it” in the spirit. It can be a flash, a still snapshot, or a mini movie playing in your minds eye. Some may “see” as real as the hand before them. This type of seeing has only happened to me a few times. I see and experience in the spirit of my minds eye on a continual basis, including dreams.
How can this be?
That is because we “dwell” in two places, in the natural and the supernatural. We are spirit and we are body. So why is this important in journaling? Journaling lets me dream and believe. It is amazing how many prayer requests and dreams have come to pass as I look back at my journals. Some I don’t want to read because of the time I was in but Holy Spirit always met me there in those pages. There was just this fulfillment and satisfaction that came after emptying myself on the pages. There was a rest in my spirit that would come. Like if I wrote it down I trusted Him with it and rested in that. The important thing to do when you journal is to press in and envision. I cannot stress this enough. When we “see” we begin to believe. It fuels our faith. It’s not that we don’t have faith in God to accomplish these things without seeing but we need it. It propels us to persevere, to push on to see it come to pass. If we don’t do our part in pressing in and pressing on then it’s not just going to happen by accident.
Have you have been called a “dreamer”?
Well, I’m here to tell you that is not all bad. It actually can serve you well in this life. If we don’t dream then our hope in this life can die. I’m not talking about the Hope we have in Jesus our savior and our promise of eternal life. I’m talking about that hope that is deep inside. You know, those things He put there that drive you to live. Those things that you love to do that make you feel alive with purpose.
To almost lose hope is to die while living, I’ve been there. You wake up and wander from day to day wondering why in the world am I even alive... I’m telling you today, DREAM, PRESS IN, GET A VISION, WRITE IT DOWN AND MAKE IT PLAIN!
Don’t go another day wandering and wondering!
I’m so thankful for the visions God gave me in my intense years of struggle. Just when I felt like I was sinking again He would lovingly drop me a vision and it would give me the desire to live and persevere. The visions gave me hope and when I would see them come to pass they would build my faith. Because how many of us know we have to cultivate and grow our faith. He knows that too. We are all given the same measure but it is up to us as we partner with Him to grow our faith by seeking Him first, reading His word, listening for His voice, hearing the rhema and logos word and through connections in our faith community.
Nothing will grow without the right elements. Once you begin to submit to and understand this process of journaling and envisioning you will begin to experience what you are writing. You will begin to experience what He is showing you. This is tasting and seeing that He is good and that all His promises are ‘yes and amen’. The Word of God is alive and words can transform us. His words transform us but we have to start believing that they can. They are not simply for Christian knowledge they are LIFE!
Partner those words with vision and you have a recipe for purposeful life.
A reason to live. The life He designed you to live. Written by Dionne White
All written material is original and ©️ of Dionne White