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There is so much power in journaling. And this too can be a godly act! Which, should come as no surprise given the number of times God told His people to write things down!
In fact, 75 verses mention the verb write, and 5 mention writing twice in that verse. This is not even counting the number of verses where the subject of writing is implied, or a slightly different verbiage is used.
Writing is a powerful tool. It is not just a form of communication. It is a form of reflection, meditation, internal conversation, and processing of thoughts into action. It is a form of strategic thinking whereby old neural pathways are edified and new ones are created.
It is a method by which we can love God literally with all of heart, soul and mind. It is not purely an internal conversation, but one with God that exposes our deepest thoughts, aspirations and prayers on paper.
We can give thanks. And we can birth life to our thoughts. These morning pages can become books of the future or plans of actions leading to better lives for us and others.
Journaling is backed wholeheartedly both by scientific and spiritual evidence of its benefits. Which should again come as no surprise as our God created the underpinnings of science and it is just another way to study His glory!
Join us in this journey of joyous journaling for godly purposes. And try to pick up a few pieces of productivity to apply along the way in your daily walks. Give thanks for He is good, and commit your pen to paper or fingers to keys to celebrate, commemorate and further foster His goodness!
“To humans belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the proper answer of the tongue. All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.”
Proverbs 16:1-3 NIV
1-Grounding in Gratitude
Remember the Modeh Ani? It is the prayer of gratitude we say upon waking. No worries if not, just head back and read the post entitled Precepts for Peaceful Sleep.
This daily practice by Jews (and some Christians) around the world showcases the power and perseverance of practices that instill gratitude immediate upon waking. This sets the tone for the day. It says “I am grateful before YOU, Living and Eternal King.” It cements our place in the universe, humbling ourselves before our Creator, whilst saying a “Thank You” to Him for restoring us through sleep, representative of the longer period of sleep we will encounter before He raises us again for eternal judgment.
According to a 2022 article published by the Mayo Clinic:
“Studies have shown that feeling thankful can improve sleep, mood and immunity. Gratitude can decrease depression, anxiety, difficulties with chronic pain and risk of disease…Another idea is to keep a gratitude journal. Set aside some time during your day, perhaps while attempting to relax your mind before sleep. Think back on your day and write down the things that went right. Maybe your spouse took care of a household repair, you heard your favorite song on the radio or you saw a double rainbow. Try writing about the many blessings you may have taken for granted, such as having clean water or having certain abilities.
Furthermore in a 2004 Study published in _JAMA Psychiatry_researchers found an association with scoring high on a gratitude questionnaire and mortality rates years later. And while this is certainly not proof, doesn’t it fit within the overall puzzle our Creator has given us?!
We need to remember that science is a way to study the world that God created. And we are His most prized creation. If we remember this fact, we should not be surprised when we discover that practices ingrained in godly behavior should yield benefits to our biology and happiness alike!
Three Small Practices to Implement:
- Write down three things each morning that you are grateful for; Thank God for each of them after you write them.
- Say Thank You to God for what He has blessed you with (before you ask for more).
- Say Thank You to at least one other person each day for something they have done.
If you can even try to implement one of these each week, you will be amazed by the results. It is all about starting small and being consistent. Use your journal as a toolkit in your belt to: (a) capture your ideas / thoughts; and (b) track your progress and consistency.
2-Get Some AIR (Awareness-Intentionality-Reflection)
Remember the Chukat principle to rewire your pathways through intentional thinking or NLP? If not, no worries, simply go back and read the post entitledThe Chukat Concept. It is a fantastic read (if I may say so myself) about the powers our of mind with which our Creator has bestowed us.
If you plan to revisit the post later, the main point here is that we are able to change our behavior by practicing strategic thinking surrounding on our patterns and connections between our thoughts and actions.
Strategic thinking really entails three specific phases. The first phase is creating awareness. In the world of accountability, this is called “seeing the problem.” It is why visualization has become such a big field in the area of data and statistical analysis.
But this is only just the beginning. The phrase ‘seeing is believing’ captures some of this feeling we get when we see something for the first time or see the problem so clearly that it almost jumps out at us. The second phase is far more important. We can see stuff everywhere, but it is only when we start to process that information that it serves any purpose. It is the digestion phase, where we are focused on not only on awareness of the issue, but intentional thinking on how to solve it. This is also where the rubber meets the road, or the pen meets paper in our analogy here. It is where we convert nutrients in the digestion process into enzymes or chemical reactions. It is likewise analogous to active listening rather than just mere hearing a sound.
In the Bible, the word for hear (Shema) also means obey. Therefore, it is far deeper than our English translation and context, and focused on the conversion of information into intel then action. God created our eyes and ears not just to be spectators. He wants active participation. He wants us to be co-creators. But He also wants us to THINK before we ACT.
“The heart’s real intentions are like deep water; but a person with discernment draws them out. The hearing ear and the seeing eye — Adonai made them both. A man’s steps are ordered by Adonai, so how can a person understand his own ways? It is a snare to dedicate a gift to God rashly and reflect on the vows only afterwards. The human spirit is a lamp of Adonai; it searches one’s inmost being.”
Mishlei (Pro) 20:5, 12, 24-25, 27 CJB
“Being slow to anger goes with great understanding, being quick-tempered makes folly still worse. A tranquil mind gives health to the body, but envy rots the bones.”
Mishlei (Pro) 14:29-30 CJB
We can actually use our journal in each of these stages. And I hope you are already starting to see the profound power of capturing our thoughts on paper. The Bible also tells us to capture our thoughts and make them obedient to Christ (2 Cor 10:5). What better way then to write them out. We are also instructed in many places in the Torah (first five books of the Bible) to write it on our heart. It some places it even says the ‘tablet of our heart’! We think most often about the third phase when we hear these things and think about journaling. The third phase is reflection. And while this is certainly an important phase, it is may be the most commonly discussed because most of time we only think AFTER we act…
“Do not let grace and truth leave you — bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.”
Mishlei (Pro) 3:3 CJB
We also tend to think about diaries as synonymous with journals. This could not be further from the truth. While it is important to humble ourselves and become vulnerable in the process — working out our salvation through fear and trembling — it is equally important to weigh our thoughts before they turn into actions. Perhaps then we can avoid many of our self-fulfilling pitfalls while succumbing to worldly fears.
So with that, let’s utilize GODLY fear, humble ourselves, and work on each of these three phases of strategic thinking.
“Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” – Brene Brown
Three Small Practices to Implement:
- Write down three things you want to work on (Bonus Points if you hit all three phases).
- Write down a sentence or two discussing with yourself in which thinking phase you need to spend more time.
- End each day with 5 minutes of reflection – what went well, what will you change tomorrow.
3-RUACH (Spiritual Check-In / Soul Accounting)
Building on above, and after you are able to take a breath (see what I did there), it is important that we dive deeper than simply thinking strategically into an area of immense importance – spiritual improvement and character refinement.
It is one thing to utilize journaling to think and act, but it is a whole other level to utilize journaling to improve your relationship with God. So the question is of course, how? And what is the why behind the what? Happy you asked. 🙂
Cheshbon HaNephesh is a concept in Judaism which literally translates to ‘Accounting the Soul.’ This is what the secular world calls ‘soul searching.’ And while many in the secular world turn to external things or deep meditative practices to search their soul, God is shouting in a whisper “I am a right here.”
This does not need to be a complex exercise. All you need is your Bible (His WORD) and a pen (or pencil) and paper. I start by reading a small section of scripture (typically the daily Torah portion on Chabad’s Daily Study app). You can also use the Holy Bible app or any physical copy to flip to your daily study or really any section at random. You might just be amazed what follows.
The Word of God is a living and breathing instrument by which to perform soul accounting. After you read each scripture, take a second to note down in your journal what resonated with you. Are there any particular areas of your life that come to mind?
Now hold that thought, after you have written it down of course.
Move on through the rest of the passages in the same rhythm. Stop and pause to write as you need. You do not need to notate each verse, but just contemplate the main takeaways, or any key questions you have.
If you want to take this one step further, build a diagram on your paper of how you envision the message. Perhaps you found a cycle or a pattern in His Word. You can also treat it like a literal balance sheet (for my finance nerds out there) and write down on one side your ‘Assets’ or things where your soul fits with scripture, and on the other side your ‘Liabilities’ or areas where you need Yeshua and God’s mercy.
This exercise can take many forms. Let the Spirit guide you – literally.
“See, the Word of God is alive! It is at work and is sharper than any double-edged sword — it cuts right through to where soul meets spirit and joints meet marrow, and it is quick to judge the inner reflections and attitudes of the heart.”
Messianic Jews (Heb) 4:12 CJB
There are now endless scientific studies that showcase the power of ‘soul accounting’ and introspection, both to improve overall well-being (happiness, mental health, sleep, etc.) and success rates of behavioral change.
One such clinical trial which was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and cited thousands of times is entitled “Counting Blessing versus Burdens.” The study found that by keeping weekly records of moods and well-being that the group focused on the ‘gratitude-outlook’ showed improved benefits on emotional and interpersonal well-being.
Again this should come as no surprise, and just imagine if we compounded all of these journaling mechanisms. We are truly made in the image of God, and he wants us to be happy and prosperous. We just need to use the godly tools He has given us!
Next time you want to zone out on another mindless activity, zone in on His Word!!
Three Small Practices to Implement:
- Start a daily bible study routine if you don’t already have one (if you don’t, start small with 5 minutes per day with your bible and your journal)
- Write down a sentence or two about each verse or section of scripture you read.
- Schedule a check-in with yourself and God; Find a soul accounting exercise that works best for you – one that you enjoy!
4-Build your FIRE, your Passion for Action
Last but certainly not least, there is a concept among the sages that the energy of an action is birthed in each thought about that action. On the other end of the spectrum, there are many (myself included) who say that thoughts are meaningless unless converted into action. In the same context, James (Jesus or Yeshua’s brother) says that “Faith without works is dead.” Starting to sense a trend?
Unless we take action, our thoughts are left unused. And if we have good thoughts, but they never turn into action, the world never reaps the benefits of this goodwill.
So how does this relate to godly journaling you ask? Let’s dive in.
Think about journaling as the first step to converting this ‘thought energy’ into passionate action. In essence, by literally putting pen to paper, we are taking the very first step to make our thoughts a reality.
This can be in a variety of contexts and applications, including:
- Lists of ideas (like this one);
- Goals, Objectives, Dreams, Aspirations (like how this blog started);
- Action Plans (‘the how’ or Strategy);
- Reflection or Stream of Consciousness writing; and last but not least…
- Gratefulness Notes!
There are endless more applications of journaling, but point being – it does not have to be some sappy diary where you share your deepest thoughts each day. And it doesn’t even have to be everyday!! These are both common misconceptions or myths our enemy uses to prevent us from utilizing this incredibly godly tool, full of passionate potential!
As consumers, our enemy tends to attack the brand value of godly things. If journals are portrayed as selfish tools for teenage girls, he wins – don’t let the enemy win. Let’s rebrand journaling for good.
Three Small Practices to Implement:
- Write down the top three things you want to achieve today (don’t worry about all your other ‘To-Do lists’ for now, these are your priorities to win the day).
- Dump any thoughts that are bothering you or taking up headspace onto paper – not only is this cathartic, it is highly productive to clear your mind.
- Write down at least one daily win or achievement you are proud of each day – this helps to connect your actions to ‘mini celebrations’ (Bonus points if it is a good deed!).
Turn your passion into action. Start with any old pen and paper. Buy a nice, pre bound journal. Use printer paper, index cards or post-it notes. Do whatever you want. Just take the first step into closing the idea-intention-execution loop. We will build upon this concept in a later post, but I’ll wait until you have your journal in hand!
Commit your works to the Lord and your thoughts will be established!
Sources
Logan, Amanda. “Can expressing gratitude improve your mental, physical health?” Mayo Clinic Health System – Speaking of Health, December 6, 2022https://sncs-prod-external.mayo.edu/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/can-expressing-gratitude-improve-health
Chen Y, Okereke OI, Kim ES, Tiemeier H, Kubzansky LD, VanderWeele TJ. Gratitude and Mortality Among Older US Female Nurses. JAMA Psychiatry. 2024 Oct 1;81(10):1030-1038. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.1687. PMID: 38959002; PMCID: PMC11223047.
Emmons RA, McCullough ME. Counting blessings versus burdens: an experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2003 Feb;84(2):377-89. doi: 10.1037//0022-3514.84.2.377. PMID: 12585811.
Takeaways to make a way…
- Everything is a cycle, including your journal and journaling habits!
- Writing can be godly – just read the many scriptures about it
- Gratitude is the most powerful attitude!
- Think about the three phases of Strategic Thinking
- Small, incremental steps and consistency yield the best results
- Count your blessings, account for your soul
- Science is our way of studying God’s creation – don’t be surprised when godly habits are good for you and bring success!
Further Study with your Buddy…
For further reading on Obedience and the godly paradox, read LOL (Love -> Obedience -> Love
If it’s more mindset techniques you are after, learn how to develop a Seek First Mindset: God’s Plan Part 2: SEEK FIRST the Kingdom of God
If you would like to read more about ‘capturing your thoughts,’ go back to a previous post and learn how to Take Every Thought Captive
Questions for Reflection…
- What do your current journaling habits look like? Do you have any?
- If writing was so important in Biblical times, why would now be any different?
- Which phase of strategic thinking are you neglecting?
- Which phase of strategic thinking are you best at?
- What small daily practice can you implement today?
- What areas of your soul do you need to account for?
- How can you improve your productivity through journaling?
godlyyy 