Immanuel Journaling has been my go-to exercise for connecting to God’s heart and my own emotional state. It has been a tool that lets me understand more about what I am carrying and how God sees it.
I am sometimes surprised even by the first prompt which is “I see you.” As I look at my own body posture it helps me identify my feelings. The thing I treasure most about my friendship with God is that He is with me. Immanuel means “God with us.” Even to say He is “with me” might not be enough, He is in me.
He is always accessible to me, but this has not always been my relationship with God. In the past, in my imagination and striving, He has seemed distant, perhaps critical, and somewhat conditional in His approval of my behavior but as I have gotten to know Him better I realize these things are not true. So how did I get to know Him?
I strongly believe in experiential knowing of God. I experience Him in nature, in joy filled times with friends and family, in worship, in the voice of trusted influencers and more and more often, through His voice to me as I listen for it in my head.
Last June at the Revel Women’s Retreat in Colorado I was introduced to Immanuel Journaling as a way to make a greater connection to my heart and God’s heart. I am thankful for the Revel team and the way they have formatted this tool for easy use which is what I am passing along to you. (see WeRevel.org for more info and retreat dates)
I have used Immanuel Journaling as a daily tool to process whatever feelings I am carrying and as a way to hear God’s input for the day. I have also used it to process specific situations where I am aware I am uneasy or anxious, but am not sure why .For example I am uncomfortable discussing difficult topics and I am looking’ for insight on how best to discuss it, (or even if I should discuss it), I do my Immanuel Journaling around his question. The insights I have gained are powerful.
So if you feel stuck and want a closer friendship with God, or you feel frustrated by God’s perceived “silence” or need God’s perspective on something that’s making you “uncomfortable.” This tool is for you.
**Remember, just like any tool, it takes practice to get the hang of it. The more we practice, the more we will recognize His voice, so if it feels awkward or clunky the first few times, I encourage you to keep on!
-Anne L.
Immanuel Journaling is a series of simple prompts that help us see our lives in the way God does These steps are taken from the book, Joyful Journey by Wilder, Kang, Loppnow and Loppnow with permission granted for personal or group use