4 Benefits of Journaling (guest article by Mark Virkler)

In 1979, I discovered two-way journaling, where I would record my dialogue with God. This is one of the four keys to hearing God’s voice that God revealed to me in a flash, after I had searched intensely for 6 months.The four keys are: stillness, vision, spontaneity, and journaling. Entering into a written dialogue with God transformed my life and the lives of an estimated million plus who have adopted these four keys within their devotional times.

Science affirms benefits of journaling – even for those NOT encountering God in their quiet times.

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I just reviewed some scientific articles that provide evidence that even one-way journaling improves the way folks handle stress. I’m going to skip the studies and simply state the benefits along with a biblical example of each. May this increase our passion to make two-way journaling (written-out dialogue with God) a way of life for each of us. We see there are both natural and supernatural benefits when we engage in dialogue journaling!

1.    Writing down a label for my feeling, even in one word, calms my heart.

Rather than ignoring or pushing an emotion down where it simply smolders unprocessed in my heart, wreaking havoc on my health, I name the emotion. It has been found that this simple act calms a person down, removes stress and results in fewer doctor visits. However, we get to go a step further. We take it to the Lord and ask for His wonderful counsel which we know will bring great resolution to the issue!

Biblical example: David labels the emotion his heart is feeling instead of burying the emotion. “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?” (Psalm 42:5,11). 

2.   Create some distance between myself and the issue by addressing parts within myself.

Writing about yourself (your heart and soul) in the third person creates some distance. This shift lowers stress.

Biblical examples: Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits (Ps. 103:1-2). As the deer pants for the water brooks, so my soul pants for You, O God… (Ps. 42:1 and following). 

3.   Listing the things I need to do increases rest and peace.

In the afternoon or evening, I often jot down things I need to do on the following day. I don’t crank out this list by racking my mind. Instead this list comes from flow, His Spirit within. God brings to my mind the things He wants me to work on. The result is that when I lay in bed my heart and mind are at peace, which allows me to fall asleep faster. I couple this with prayer as I drift off to sleep, asking “Lord, grant me revelation concerning this project while I sleep.” He does.

Also, I often fall asleep saying the name “Jesus” over and over in conjunction with my slowed-down breathing. I picture His light (Spirit) entering me as I breathe in, and my semi-light leaving me as I breathe out. I wake up with a flow of anointed ideas. I begin the day tuned to flow (His anointing) and release His anointing in activity after activity all day long.

Biblical example: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6–7). “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). 

4.   Let the Lord describe for you the story you are living, so it is more than just facts.

Our memories do not store life as a pile of facts or an outline. We store the events in our lives as stories. This means we switch from simply saying: “this happened to me” to a more insightful version such as, “this happened, and this is why it happened, and this is what God taught me and here is the benefit it provided in my life….”

Biblical example: Joseph does not stay inside the raw betrayal of his brothers, as they sold him into slavery. Years later he frames the story: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good… the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20; cf. Genesis 45:5–8).

God has promised that He can and will work all things out for good (Rom. 8:28). Through two-way journaling, we can ask God, “Lord, what is the good You have worked out in my life through this painful experience?” Then we tune in to His voice (flowing thoughts) and record what He shows us. This heals heart wounds so we can move on in joy and peace. A hurt is healed when we can see the gift God has produced in our lives through the experience. Jesus moved from the pain of the cross to the joy of seeing the full story: this was releasing a restored relationship between God and man. “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross” (Heb. 12:2).

Lord, thank You for the gift and biblical pattern of journaling
and the multiple ways it brings healing, life, and creativity into my life!

My Emmaus Road Experience (Lk. 24:13-35) 

• Lord, what would You like to say to me concerning the role two-way journaling is to have in my life?

Hearing God’s voice is as simple as: 1) quieting down (Ps. 62:1-5), 2) beholding Jesus at my right hand (Ps. 16:8; Acts 2:25), 3) asking for His revelation and tuning to spontaneous thoughts and spontaneous pictures (Jn. 7:37-39; Jer. 2:13; 10 pictures), and 4) recording what flows (Hab. 2:1,2; Rev. 1:9-11). I then test it, ensuring it lines up with Scripture (Ps. 1:2; Jn. 10:35; 1 Thess. 5:2) and is affirmed in the hearts of my three spiritual advisors (2 Cor. 13:1; Prov. 11:14). See this link.