Spiritual Disciplines #1; journaling part 2

-people who start journalling generaly enjoy it

• to the Christian life it is like an adventure (Pilgrim's Progress)

• you can recognize situations, know what you're feeling
  

Psalms and Lamentations are just two examples of books in the Bible that are like journals.

*Romans 12:3-evaluate ourselves "with sober judgement"

What's in a journal?

1. daily thoughts
2. relationships
3. scripture thoughts
4. devotional
5. events of the day
6. meditation
7. self- evaluation
8. express thoughts & feelings to the Lord

Journaling helps maintain the other spiritual disciplines, which are;

Whitefield's daily test for himself:
Have I:

1. been fervent in prayer
2. used stated hours of prayer
3. used ejaculatory* prayer each hour
4. thought how my conversations are to God's glory
5. after any pleasure given thanks
6. planned business for the day
7. been simple and recollected in everything
8. been zealous and active in doing anything I could
9. been meek, cheerful, and affable in anyhting I said or did
10. been proud, vain, unchaste, or enviable of others
11. been recollected in eating and drinking, thankful, temperete in sleep
12. taken time to give thanks
13. been diligent in studies
14. thought or spoken unkindly of anyone
15. confessed all my sins

*= not sure what ejaculatary means- any comments on this?

To journalers; write at least one sentance per day. It will keep you in the discipline, and you can look back and see the patterns of your spiritual growth and developement, and the ups and downs of your life.