Silence, Solitude and Journaling...For the Purpose of Godliness

Psalm 46:10 NASB95

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Silence and Solitude

Psalm 46:10 NASB95

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalm 46:10

Explanation of Silence and Solitude

Valuable Reasons for Silence and Solitude

To Follow Jesus’ Example

Matthew 4:1 NASB95

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Matthew 14:23 NASB95

After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.

Mark 1:35 NASB95

In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there.

Luke 4:42 NASB95

When day came, Jesus left and went to a secluded place; and the crowds were searching for Him, and came to Him and tried to keep Him from going away from them.

To Minimize Distractions in Prayer

To Express Worship to God

To Express Faith in God

To Seek the Salvation of the Lord

To Be Physically and Spiritually Restored

To Regain a Spiritual Perspective

To Seek the Will of God

To Learn Control of the Tongue

Suggestions for Silence and Solitude

Minute Retreats

A Goal of Daily Silence and Solitude

Getting Away for Silence and Solitude

Special Places

Trade-Off Daily Responsibilities

Journaling

Explanation of Journaling

Value of Journaling

Help in Self-Understanding and Evaluation

Help in Mediation

Help in Expressing Thoughts and Feelings to the Lord

Help in Remembering the Lord’s Works

Help in Creating and Preserving a Spiritual Heritage

Help in Clarifying and Articulating Insights

Help in Monitoring Goals and Priorities

George Whitfields’ Have I: Been fervent in prayer? Used stated hours of prayer? Used ejaculatory prayer each hour? After or before every deliberate conversation or action, considered how it might tend to God’s glory? After any pleasure, immediately given thanks? Planned business for the day? Been simple and recollected in everything? Been zealous in undertaking and active in doing what good I could? Been meek, cheerful, affable in everything I said or did? Been proud, vain, unchaste, or enviable of others? Recollected in eating and drinking? Thankful? Temperate in sleep? Taken time for giving thanks according to (William) Law’s rules? Been diligent in studies? Thought or spoken unkindly of anyone? Confessed all sins?

Help in Maintaining Other Spiritual Disciplines

Ways of Journaling

Content, Format, Length, and Frequency

The Issue is not how but that we journal.

Whitney, Donald S.. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (pp. 263-264). The Navigators. Kindle Edition

Whitney, Donald S.. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (p. 264). The Navigators. Kindle Edition.