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The purpose of the Devotional Prompts for The Journal is to help you with your personal devotional time, your everyday private worship. Each prompt presents a tenet of faith or personal discovery for you to consider, and includes a call to action. Going beyond passive reading and acceptance, the Devotional Prompts add-ons encourage you to write out what’s in your heart, to see the wisdom of God you have glimpsed in your own life, and to highlight those areas in your life where you need to grow.
Example 1 (from Devotional Prompts 1)
Take Joy – Joy is not just a feeling, it is an attitude that comes from within us. Joy is not dependent upon our situations, though our situations will try to determine our attitude. When people see our joyful attitude it can cause them to be drawn into the same attitude. Therefore, if we choose to smile as if we have no problems, then that will keep the atmosphere around us upbeat. Sometimes we just have to “take joy” even though we may not want to. The Bible (Phil 4:4) says “Rejoice, and again, I say, rejoice.” Choose joy and keep yourself and those around you happy.
Write down at least 5 things in your life that bring you joy. If situations or people try to bring you down today, remember what you wrote and let the joy show through.
Example 2 (from Devotional Prompts 1)
Clanging Cymbals – Have you ever heard someone playing around with cymbals? Usually, it sounds like a bunch of clanging noise. When we go through life without God’s kind of love, that’s what our life looks like to God. What is God’s kind of love? It is the love that is willing to give regardless of what is received. This is the love that should be between a husband and wife, and between parents and children. Unfortunately that kind of love is not often seen in families these days and that is why there is so much violence and abuse (clanging cymbals) in families. Learn to love without expecting anything in return and see just how much joy you can have. God will be pleased. Does daily life in your family sound like clanging cymbals?
Write down the areas that are “clanging” the loudest and ways to exhibit the love of God to calm down the “clanging”. Try to do this in every area, working towards peace in your family.
Example 3 (from Devotional Prompts 2)
The “I” Question – We live in a society that seems to be consumed with the sense that “I” am the most important person in the world. I realize this concept of considering “I” may be new to you, but it seems to me that it is time that we all begin to look at how we view ourselves and if there is need of change, be willing to make that change. Have you considered how you look at yourself? Take a good, long, hard look at yourself. Don’t start by applying this to someone else, apply it to yourself. Are you wrapped up in yourself? Do you see yourself as worthless? Write out how you see yourself and any areas that need changing. Have you surrendered yourself to a higher purpose or being? These are questions only you can answer.
Example 4 (from Devotional Prompts 2)
Hold on to Your Hope – Have you noticed that sometimes when you express confident hope concerning anything coming in your life that there will be those around you who will try to convince you it will never happen? This is an attempt to steal your hope. You have to ignore what is being said and continue to hold on to your hope. If you hold on, you will see the victory. However, it will not be easy as you will have to hold on in spite of what your friends or relatives may be doing or saying. It seems that people would rather see failure than victory; then they can say they told you so. Hope is confident expectancy based on a solid foundation. Are you hoping for something? Write down what it is and why you expect it to happen. Hold on!
How to Use the Devotional Prompts Add-ons
The Devotional Prompts add-ons were created so you could have a devotional once per day for nearly 6 months (3 months per add-on, over 170 prompts in all). However, you can use the prompts as often or as seldom as you please.
There is no right or wrong way to respond to the devotional prompts. The prompts serve only to get you started thinking and writing. If possible, try to write for at least 10 minutes, being as direct and be as honest as you can.
How to Purchase
The Journal Devotional Edition includes both Devotional Prompts 1 and Devotional Prompts 2, and can be purchased for $79.95 US.
Or, if you have already purchased The Journal, you can add the Devotional Prompts add-on for $15 US each. Click on the Help menu in The Journal and choose Buy Add-ons for The Journal.
About the Author
Born in Louisburg, NC, in 1938, Don Michael, Sr., was the middle child of seven, and grew up working on a farm. After serving in the US Navy for 10 years, Don attended the Glen Cove Bible College in Maine. An ordained minister, he has pastored churches in Maine, Texas, and Oklahoma, and taught numerous Sunday School classes and Bible studies. Don has been married over 55 years, with 7 children, and a growing collection of grandchildren. Don and his wife, Gail, currently live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
All Add-ons Available for The Journal
- Devotional Prompts
- Memorygrabber
- Steve Pavlina's Templates
- Writing Prompts 1: Free Writing
- Writing Prompts 2: Prose Challenges
- Writing Prompts 3: Starting Setences
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