Keeping a Spiritual Diary is very simple. At first glance, it seems that it will not produce any special fruit, but, when put into practice in everyday life, this work appears to bring incalculable richness. His secret is being daily: every day. I give you the challenge of keeping your Spiritual Diary. And here, I explain in detail the rules of how to do it correctly, so that everything is very clear.
Spiritual Diary
Use a notebook, notebook, diary or binder;
Reserve a blank sheet of paper for each day;
At the top of each page, put the date of the work: day of the week, month and year;
Then, develop the diary in a personal way, considering the following items:
1. God’s Promises
In the passage you read each day, you may well find God. It is very easy to identify them: they are things that He promises. The Bible is full of his promises. He doesn’t need to promise; however, as Father, he promises. You see: these are promises from a faithful God, who always fulfills the word given to His children. We can trust them, we can take risks for them: God does not fail! Therefore, it is worth knowing the promises He makes to us. And what is most important: we must engrave them in our minds and in our hearts. So, write down daily the promises of God that you find in your reading. We will not always find divine promises in the passages we read. If we don’t find them, we will have nothing to write down. However, there are so many promises that we will find them many and often.
Here are some examples:
“To all who received Him, to those who believe in His Name, He gave the power to become children of God” (John 1:12).
“Where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there I am among them” (Mt 18:20).
“If you who are more know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” (Luke 11:13).
“And you are certain that each one will receive from the Lord the reward for the good he has done” (Eph 6:8).
2. God’s orders to be obeyed
God, who is Father, has clear prescriptions for our lives. He commands, prescribes, prohibits, orders; everything to lead us as much loved children. Following His commandments, obeying His orders, is the secret of life. It is in our interest, therefore, to know and keep the orders He gives us. As with promises, his commands are abundant in the Bible, although we do not find them in every passage we read. However, whenever you encounter an order from God, write it down carefully in your journal. It’s quite simple to distinguish them.
Some examples:
The best-known order is: “Love one another, as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
In Mt 5:37, we have: “Say yes only if it is yes, no if it is no”.
Mk 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature”.
Lk 6:27-28: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who insult you.”
In general, the verb in the imperative form – “give”, “do”, “go”, “seek”, “receive”, “forgive”, “thirst” (…) – is a sign of order.
3. Eternal Principle
The principles of the Kingdom could well be called “Laws of the Kingdom of God”. We do not call them that so as not to confuse them with orders or , but principles are laws that govern the Kingdom of God, that is, in the Kingdom, things work this way.
In this world, everything is governed by laws: the stars, minerals, plants, electricity, the human body, etc.; laws are immutable principles that determine the way of being of each of these things. The scientist needs to know the principles that govern his . The Kingdom of God is also governed by eternal, immutable principles, permanent laws. His kingdom functions as described in these principles. It is vital that the children of the Kingdom know the principles by which it is governed. God wants to reveal to His children the secrets of the Kingdom, the mysteries of the supernatural world. This is why His word is full of principles. It may seem difficult at first, but soon you will be able to identify these eternal principles, these permanent laws of the Kingdom.
Some examples:
“Do not judge and you will not be judged; Do not condemn and you will not be condemned, forgive and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:36). This is how it works in the Kingdom of God.
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14). Whether we like it or not, this is how it happens; this is immutable.
“To the pure, all things are pure. For the corrupt and unbelievers, nothing is pure. Even your mind and conscience are corrupted” (Titus 1:15).
“For we brought nothing into this world, nor can we take anything away” (ITm 6:7).
4. God’s message for me today
In everything you’ve read, in everything you’ve worked on in your journal so far, what is God’s message to you? It is certain that He has a message for you. Just pay attention, with an attitude of expectation to discover it. Write down the message every day. Don’t let her get lost. Take very personal notes, in your own words. Keep it simple, no complications.
5. How can I apply this to my life?
This is the most personal and concrete part of the entire diary. There is no need, nor do I want, to give many explanations about this. God himself will inspire you to see how he can apply the things he has read and worked with to your life.
Take note! It’s not enough to find out, it’s also important to write it down daily. Your notes will be a roadmap for your life. The fact that we record in writing what God inspires us to put into practice in our lives decisively transforms our way of being and acting, as well as our relationship with Him.
SPIRITUAL DIARY
Date:
Text:
1. God’s Promises
2. Orders to obey
3. Eternal Principle
4. God’s message for me today
5. How to apply this in my life
Why a written diary?
Read this; the facts speak:
“In the past, I “pecked” the Holy Scripture back and forth. Yes, he liked it, and he learned lessons. Today, however, I see how it remained on the periphery. Honestly, my taste and knowledge of the Word was very superficial. Today, however, after a short time, I can see how I went deeper day by day, how I refined my taste for the Bible: how my knowledge grew. Every day, she challenges me, and that forces me to move forward.
Read more:
It’s a spiritual adventure! The greatest grace, however, is knowing that the teachings did not remain in the head. No, they came down and permeated all of life. Today, I feel the Word integrated in my life, in my way of thinking, in my thoughts, in my conversations (…) in everything! I am young and I can say that, like Jesus as a teenager, I am growing, day by day, in stature, in wisdom and grace, before God and before men. Glory to God!”
Briefly, we can say that the diary:
1. It is an excellent way to record the revelations received daily from the Word. It is a treasure that cannot be lost;
2. Creates in us a healthy attitude of expectation; we remain attentive and with an open heart. God’s message is alive! We are sure and therefore we hope;
3. It helps us to verify our own fidelity, to be serious and honest with ourselves;
4. Makes review easier. Weekly review, monthly review. Each review is a further step towards true knowledge of the Word;
It presents us with a good assessment of our progress, which gives us courage and enthusiasm to continue.
From the book