The benefits of journaling

We all make New Year’s Resolutions we fail to keep. Every year we’re inspired to get fit, lose weight, spend less, save more... and read the whole Bible! 

But how much time do we really spend deeply reading God's word? 

With a New Year just around the corner, now is a great time to think about starting to journal so you can be strengthened to live the life Jesus has called you to live.

As former Archbishop Peter Jensen says,"Daily, disciplined study of God’s word personally, and in families, is indispensable for Christian knowledge and obedience."

Maybe you're the sort of person that remembers everything you've ever read. But for the rest of us, "unless you’ve got a ‘total recall’ brain, you’re going to forget the stuff that God is teaching you through his Word. Grab a journal, write stuff down and see your life transformed.” (Rod Bishop, Youth Minister at St Paul's Anglican Church in Castle Hill).

To help you become a journaler in the New Year, why not use the newly updated REAP Journals from the Growing Faith webstore? Al Stewart does: "I started using these journals three years ago and found myself waking up early, when everyone else was asleep, to sneak quietly into my study to read my Bible and pray. I hope that these REAP journals will excite you about spending time with God, as well."

REAP stands for Read, Explore, Apply and Pray and is designed to make reading the Bible easy as a part of everyday life. There's a version for Adults, Youth and Kids, with similar daily passages across all versions (with special consideration for each demographic), meaning that families can learn together just as easy as individuals can. Former Bishop of North Sydney, Paul Barnett says once you start, you won't look back:

“At the heart of Christian living is our personal relationship with God. The strength of the REAP Journals is they help us turn a disciplined reading routine into a very personal two-way conversation with our heavenly Father. With a generous dose of daily scriptures, the full year reading plan and the easy-to-follow format of ‘Read, Explore, Apply and Pray’, make studying the Scriptures on a daily basis enriching for everyone.”

To discover more, visit the Growing Faith webstore today.

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