Why I Put Pen To Paper

***Originally posted on LIVE IT OUT! blog by Sarah Martin***

I thought I would take just a moment to share some thoughts on why I put pen to paper almost daily... in my journal. This is a big part of my time with the Lord. My journal is messy. There are pages ripped out and scribbled on. There is really even no sense of order. But that is ok! Do you have a journal? Let me see if I can convince you in putting pen to paper for yourself as you interact with Scripture.

 

Writing in a journal is critical for me when I'm interacting with God's word. It keeps me focused. I often doodle Scripture that I'm reading or write prayers or just bullet points of what stuck out to me. I have so many journals! I wrote Just RISE UP! to be interactive as we converse with the Lord and dig into His Word. So! I encourage you to journal through it!

This is where the rubber meets the road in any of our interactions with God’s Word. First, that we sit quietly in prayer asking God’s Spirit to speak to us through Scripture. Secondly, that we do our part to interact and that comes through using our senses! Really.

Hearing: When we read the word aloud.

Sight: reading the Word with our eyes and with our hearts.

Touch: feel the words as we physically write out Scripture or our prayers. (Well that’s not all of our five senses, but you know what I mean.)

Sometimes we just don't feel like it, right? I know I'm not the only one who feels blah about faith sometimes. (getting real here, friends!) Here is what the Lord has taught me...

Just SHOW UP! When we show up and make ourselves available, God will do His glorious thing with our blah. When we come to Him even when we don't wanna, because we know that He is WORTHY, the Lord will bless that. He who authored our heart and knows every twist and turn of emotions will kindly hold our hands and speak to us when we just show up.

The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy but I (Jesus!) have come to give you life abundantly. {John 10:10)

So...do you need to just show up today in the Word knowing that He is worthy? 

It is OK to be raw and real with the LORD.
This is where journaling is helpful. We can scribble and hash things out on the page with a prayerful intention of taking our doubts, fears, trust issues, questions...anything to the Lord. And, you know what?

He CAN handle it! So hand it over.

When we offer up even our most raw feelings to Him this opens the door for meaningful conversation between us and the Almighty.

So have I convinced you to journal in your prayer time and Bible study? If so, you can join me in a journey of interacting with Scripture through Just RISE UP!

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To get you started, here is a printable of a journal cover that I painted with you in mind. Click HERE to download the link to print off the image. So fun!

 

Also! I would love for you to join me on the Just RISE UP! Online study that begins November 3rd! Click  HERE for more information. This is a go at your own pace type of study. You can join in while in your p.j's or at work or really anywhere as we RISE UP together to make Jesus famous. All you need is a copy of Just RISE UP!, your Bible, and a journal.