 Both Cabinets and I read through the Bible each year and journal each day on the readings for the day. Printed Journals can be ordered from The New Hope Christian Fellowship at www.enewhope.org. Or you can use this online tool to journal from your computer. All entries are encrypted and can only be seen by their author after they enter a username and password.
The steps in using the Journal are:
A. Find the Bible reading corresponding to today’s date from the Bible readings listed in the Life Journal. Turn to the chapter in your Bible, asking the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Mark off each daily reading as you complete it to keep yourself accountable. If you use the online version the day's scriptures are displayed once you log on and your journal is located to the right of the scripture.
B. Read the passages. As you are reading, take note of anything the Lord impresses on you as a personal word to be applied. When you read with an open heart, God will give you words of encouragement, direction, and correction (2 Tim. 3:16)
C. When God has revealed a special lesson of life to you, record what God has just shown you in your journal. - Title the page.
- Scripture: Write down the verse you have chosen as a lesson for the day.
- Observation: Write down what the lesson is for you for that day.
- Application: Write how this lesson applies to your life.
- Prayer: Write a prayer to God concerning this lesson and your life.
- Yield: Write what you must yield in your life for this lesson to become alive in you.
- Record the entry by date, scripture, topic, title and page in your Table of Contents page.
- Conclude your daily devotional time by turning to the prayer list in your Life Journal and spend some personal time with God in prayer.
Both Cabinets have agreed to use the Journal daily and we hold each other accountable for this daily practice. When the Cabinet gathers each morning we share the verse chosen and then read our Life Journal entry for that day.
The Life Journaling and Bible reading provides an opportunity for God to gently shape our lives into the very character of Jesus.
The Following is and example of one of my Life Journal entries. Others are included in this online version by clicking on the "Bishop Wills' Entry" tab. Date: January 11, 2007
Title: Scripture Becomes Light to Mind, Heart, and Body
Topic: Daily Scripture Reading
S: Luke 11:34
Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.
O: What I read determines the kind of light or darkness which will fill my mind and my body. I become what I think.
A: This morning as I read this scripture, I became aware once again how important this time in Scripture is for me each day. I begin my day with reading God’s Word for me. This daily reading is really what changes my life to be more like Jesus and this reading shapes my heart so it will be more useable by the Lord.
I know if I miss a morning because I have an early trip to make, then there is a loss in my life and I find a small amount of darkness comes into my life.
I can hardly imagine how my life would have been without this daily time in the Word so my mind and body can sample the light of God and my heart can be shaped and made more useful to the Lord.
P: Father thank you for the gift of your Word. Thank you also for the light it brings into my mind and body as you teach and encourage me each day to be a follower of Jesus. Love, Dick
Y: I will not skip a day of this discipline because I need this light in my heart and mind and body.
In Christ,
Bishop Dick Wills
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