Important Suggestion to my fellow Journalers

If these posts are too long for you to complete, I suggest that you print off the prompt that is of current interest to you and then tape it into your journal for future reference. The prompts are such that you can do it in one sitting or you can break each idea down and use them as separate prompts. There is no set rule on how to use these prompts. They can be used as lessons for your auxiliaries too. Hope you enjoy them and may they glorify the Lord in all the ways you use them. God bless your writing experiences.

Important Note:

Most of these prompts will come from my own thoughts, but there may some that I have found from other people and want to share with you. Some of the prompts may be repeats to some of you who are members of the same online groups I am in, but I will include them for the new journalers out there reading this blog. And sometimes prompts are so good they are worth repeating. You may use a prompt over and over again and reply to it differently each time. I will give credit to prompts I find when I know the person who submitted the prompt or gave it to me by other means. If I find a journaling site that has prompts I will include them too. Thank you for your understanding.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Need to gain more "wait".

I have several friends who are on diets.  I hear a lot of talk about how much weight they are losing etc.  So, I started thinking about my own weight (I am not fat, I am just too short for my weight).  And then the thoughts turned into a prompt.  I got to thinking about the words"weight" and "wait".  This prompt is for the active as well as the couch potato.  The only thing you are required to do for this type of diet is to be a journaler.  You can use your own taste in the type of journal you use.  The only utensils you need in order to consume this prompt is writing utensils.  You will not have to report your responses to the group.  It will not be made public.  This is a prompt to help you gain more wait and lose some unnecessary pounds that are loading you down.  You will be able to write if you are becoming obese in some areas and if you are anorexic in others.  Let's get going and start to feel the burn of negativity and remember "no pain, no gain."

What is the main objective for a person to want to go on a diet?  They are overweight. 
What if you are a person who is overweight in negative routines?  You may need to go on a diet if you are exercising in any of these activities:

Holding grudges - this will not make your arms stronger.  You will find yourself not being able to hug someone while you are holding onto a grudge.  You will not be able to reach your hand out to someone in need if you continue to hold onto a grudge.  "Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned."  James 4:9 Write about a grudge you have been holding onto.  Ask the Lord to help you let go, to drop it, and never to pick it up again.  Are you unable to forgive someone?  This will cause you to become obese  and suffer from physical ailments that need not be, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, headaches, depression and fatigue.  Journal how this verse may heal you of holding onto to grudges and unforgiveness:  Ephesians 4:31-32 "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Twisting negative thoughts - Do you participate in gossip, slander, judging others wrongly, worry, anxiety, fear, and other negative thinking?  Untangle your twisted mess of thoughts and allow the Lord to be in your thoughts.  Instead of thinking negatively, go to the Word of God and write out what the Lord has to say about them.  In Hebrews 4:12 it states, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Carrying worries and stress -  I Timothy 6:7-8 says "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."  We need to turn our worries and all that is causing us to be stressed to the Lord and He will take care of these things.  Sing the song "He Will Take Care of You" and let it soothe your spirit.  Remember worry is of the devil and we should "submit yourselves therefore to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  James 4:7.  Find the story of Footprints in the Sand.  Write this in your journal.  And then write about the different times in your life when "there were only one set of footprints."  Carry your worries to the altar and leave them there.

Hanging onto to resentment, guilt, past hurts, offenses of others and bitterness - You need to let go of the things you are hanging onto that keep you from taking the Lord's hand and trust Him. "I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved."  Psalm 16:8  In Hebrew 12:15 it states "looking diligently lest any man fall of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."  If you hang onto those things and anything else from trusting God you will also become a stumbling block for others.  Discover ways you can overcome hanging onto them and learn to trust the Lord.  Write out 5 verses on the word "trust" each day.  There are 134 verses in the N.T.  Be doing this exercise you will have written all of the verses found in the N.T. in a month.  Don't become lax in writing out verses.  Make it a journaling habit and it will aid in memorizing God's Word when you find yourself in need of hearing God speak to you and you are without a Bible.

Lifting up covetness -  Psalm 38:4  says, "For mine iniquities are gone over mine head: as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me."  Are you finding yourself practicing some of the "thy shall nots" in the worldly exercise program of going against the Ten Commandments?  Do a research on the actions taken against those who broke those commandments in the Bible.  What are the consequences of not heeding to God's warnings?  Do a study on the words sin, transgression, and iniquity.  When you find yourself lifting up sinful thoughts, lifting up sinful ways repeat the following verse and let the Lord be your exercise partner - "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."  James 4:10

There are healthy exercises you can participate in that will be beneficial to your spiritual health.  Some of those are "Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."  James 5:16  "Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord is nigh."  James 4:6  "Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord."  Hebrews 12:14. 

What kind of diet should one partake in when shedding the unhealthy practices of the world?  Your diet should consist of "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."  Ephesians 5:11.  Ephesians 4:27 says "neither give place to the devil."  It continues to give you a diet of things you should not partake in - read Ephesians 5:25 - 30.  Your diet should be one that allows you to "be renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new man, whcih after God is created in righteousness and true holiness."  If you remind yourself every time you are tempted to try a crash diet of ungodly ways, remember what God's Word says:  "Be not ye therefore partakers with them."  Ephesians 6:7.   Research scripture for the side effects of such crash diets.  You may feel better for awhile or feel as if you can overcome them, but you will soon see the unhealthy side effects, such as restlessness, anxiety, or insomnia.  When those invade your body, your spiritual antibodies will not be able to fight against the wiles of the devil and you will fall victim to sinfulness.

When you concentrate on a steady diet of God's Word, you will be able to shed those unwanted pounds of depression, discouragement, ungratefulness, frustration, confusion, etc.  You will be able to lose grievances. overcome temptation, and not feel the burn of the consequences of sin.  Read Lamentations 3:40, write it in your journal and let it become your way of dieting and exercising - "Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord."  Let your diet consist of the fruit of the spirit as found in Galatians 5:22-23.  Do a word study on each one mentioned.  Write how you can feed on God's Word and apply it to your daily exercise program.

How can you free yourself of the heavy load you are handling alone?  Are you juggling a load of burdens?  Scripture says, "Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22.   Participate in the exercise program as outlined in the Bible.  Look up the verses in your concordances that are this type of program's objective - casteth and casting.  Is your heart overwhelmed with those burdens?  Do the following heart smart exercise - "Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens."  Lamentations 3:41  And remember God wants us to "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2.

After doing the exercises discussed above have you reached your ideal weight?  Are you reaching your goal of becoming Christ-like?  Did you decide this exercise program is not for you at this time in your life?  Are you suffering from a spiritual form of anorexia?  Do you find yourself underweight in these areas- Bible reading, devotional time with the Lord and with your family, prayer time?  You need to gain more wait.  Do you feel spiritually drained?  Are you suffering from spiritual weakness syndrome due to lack of listening to the Lord?  You need to take a dose of God's Word and you will gain in wait. "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."  Isaiah 40:31  Other areas you will gain in is wisdom and knowledge.  The Bible is full of ways to gain in these areas.  "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding."  Proverbs 4:7  Where one must learn about a physical diet so must one learn about their spiritual diet.  Along with daily Bible reading, devotional time, prayer time, and fellowship with other Christians remember to attend church services in order to gain strenght in your Christian walk and benefit from your spiritual diet.  Let this be part of your spiritual  exercise to continue a life time - "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."  Hebrews 10:25.

Losing the weight of the world and gaining in the wait for the Lord is the goal of this prompt.  May you find this prompt healthy for your journaling routine.