JOURNALING – Biblical Approach vs Automatic Writing

Write in a book what you see (Rev. 1:11). Record the vision and inscribe it on tablets (Hab. 2:2). Really! Write out the revelation God is giving me? I don’t think so. I hate writing. This won’t work for me. Sorry God, these are verses I will simply skip, if You don’t mind.

The four keys to hearing God’s voice

1. Stillness: Quiet yourself internally
2. Vision: Behold Jesus with you
3. Spontaneity: Tune to flow
4. Journaling: Record the flowing thoughts, pictures, and emotions

Hearing God’s voice is as simple as quieting yourself down,
fixing your eyes on Jesus, tuning to flow and writing.

The KEY is the synergy created as you use ALL four together!

Expanded and extended

We cover these four keys in depth in our books 4 Keys to Hearing God’s Voice, Dialogue With God, many blogs and video clips, and review them in many of the other books we have written.

Nearly 100 people have now put these four keys into the books they have written. This is all promoting a revolution in the body of Christ as people come alive to dialogue with God daily. This is something they had never been taught they could do easily and daily.

This sounds like automatic writing, so I will NOT do it!

A Christian lady who had been a New Ager earlier in her life, explained to me the difference between automatic writing and two-way journaling as I teach it and practice it. She said, in automatic writing, she would let her hand hang limp and a spirit would control her hand.

In two-way journaling, she would quiet herself before the Lord, and receive revelation which she would choose to write. Thus her entire being was involved in two-way journaling and just the end of her hand in automatic writing. Well, I could see the difference.

We promote two-way journaling, NOT automatic writing!

Are there many examples of two-way journaling in the Bible?

Two-way journaling is when you record your dialogue with God on paper. There are 150 Psalms showing this. Plus the entire 22 chapters of the book of Revelation is two-way journaling. In addition, all the prophets exemplify this. So we have hundreds of chapters in the Bible modeling two-way journaling.

In light of that, am I now going to explain to God why I don’t intend to do two-way journaling? I think not!

Every time I explain to God why I don’t intend to do something He instructed me to do it is like shooting myself in the kneecap and hobbling for the rest of my life. So definitely NOT a smart move.

Why would God want me to write out my prayer times?

Here are three big values that I have discovered.

1. Increases faith as I re-read it: As I go back and re-read my journaling, I am inspired by how much different it is than the way I normally talk and think. This becomes a big confirmation to me that this is from God and not just me writing.
2. Postures me in faith as I am receiving: When journaling I fix my eyes on Jesus and ask Him to speak, tune to flow, and write. I can stay in FAITH for an extended period because I know I can test it later. Thus I don’t need to test it while I am receiving it. This removes the block of doubt and testing. God says I must come to Him in faith. Doubt and testing are not faith, so they cut off the flow. If I am not writing it down, I begin testing even while I am writing, thus halting my dialogue with God part way through His first sentence. NOT WISE! Journaling lets me stay in faith for an extended period, knowing I can test it later! Priceless! Now I have extended conversations with God as we walk together in the cool of the day.
3. I can review and remind myself of what God has spoken: “For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay."

When God speaks concerning things to come, I sure prefer these things come within 24 hours. However, He often takes many years to fulfill His words. I have explained to God how much I dislike these delays and yet He maintains them.

So I have to learn to become comfortable believing and reviewing the words He has spoken and accept that He lives in timelessness and I need to honor that. God’s promise to Abraham was at age 75 and it was partially fulfilled when Isaac was born and Abraham was 100! It was ultimately fulfilled over a thousand years later when Jesus rose from Calvary.

I either accept God’s ways or complain and grumble. I’ve tried both. Grumbling isn’t cool or life-giving or honoring toward God. I find that daily journaling restores my faith for that day, so I don’t become negative, complaining, and pessimistic. After all, leadership is automatically transferred to those who remain optimistic. I do want to be a leader that others would choose to follow. We are all called to lead and not follow (see Deut. 28:13).

You can participate in promoting the Spirit-anointed lifestyle!

I want the Church able and ready to articulate “two-way journaling” and describe it as recording your dialogue with God and practicing it daily allowing us to walk in victory.

Everyone you teach to use the four keys to hearing God’s voice will enter into daily revival. It will heal their hearts, and their families, and it will empower them to be able to offer Spirit-anointed ministry to all whom they touch.

An anointed Church transforms the world!

We need the Church to be anointed and alive with the power, wisdom and healing touch of God! We need this revival. The world needs us living in God’s anointing and releasing it to them. We can offer daily communion with God if we can explain simply and clearly how it occurs and lead people into it.

I do not want the Church to sell their birthright to New Agers because we can't clearly define two-way journaling and life in the Spirit, so hungry people try the alternative approach of automatic writing. What a travesty that would be!

Let’s forever uproot and remove fear and lack of clear definitions about how we live and walk by the Spirit. Let us offer a living, active relationship with Jesus to all who would come to Him and acknowledge Him as their Lord and Savior. Jesus died so fellowship with God could be restored. Offer “fellowship with God.” Jesus declared, “My sheep hear My voice.” It is TIME to teach people how to experience and live out of Jesus’ voice. THIS IS LIFE! This is revival. This is Christianity. This is the Church on fire.

Journaling question: Lord, what would You speak to me concerning recording my dialogue with You?

Dig deeper concerning two-way journaling

• Seven Applications of Journaling by Ian Wilkinson
• How to Interpret and Apply Personal Prophecy by Ian Wilkinson
• The #1 Tool in the World for Introducing People to Hearing God's Voice! 
• How Did Over a Million People Learn to Recognize God’s Voice?
• Click here for testimonies – amazing, wonderful testimonies about hearing God’s voice.
• Twenty-One Minute Presentation of the 4 Keys
• Resources for the four keys to hearing God’s voice

Links to the four parts of this series:

1. FLOW – Easily Experience God’s Anointing
2. VISION – God Makes It Easy, Religion Makes It Hard
3. STILLNESS – Biblical Approach vs Eastern Mysticism
4. JOURNALING – Biblical Approach vs Automatic Writing 

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HEA302 The Power of Kingdom Emotions
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