A week or so before I started the Daniel Fast (DF) I came across in one of my readings the suggestion to pray the Psalms. The author (I can’t remember which because I’ve been reading several books at one time…) stated she challenged herself to read each Psalm and then pray it through. I liked the idea of intentionally slowing down to focus and take in all that is before you in the Word. That is the ideal way to study!!
Sometimes when a particular passage or verse is familiar, we tend to rush right through it. Not all the time, but honestly, there are passages that don’t jump out at us or hold our undivided attention. But if it is in the Word of God, it is there for a reason…sometimes that verse or chapter that you’ve quickly passed over will be just the Word you’ll need in a particular season.
As apart of my own challenge, I also decided to journal the Psalms with pictures. I am a visual learner. If I see it, I am more likely to remember it. So when I read the Psalms, if there is picture that comes to mind, I draw it to represent the verse. Mine are very basic. I just write out the verse that stood out to me and then make a drawing. I use a basic $1 composition notebook and the pen I’ve been writing with. Nothing fancy like the journaling Bibles they have where you use colored pencils, markers, stencils. I’m just not there yet. But I have enjoyed the result of a more focused time in each chapter. I like to doodle, so to doodle the Word has been rewarding. The slower pace through the Psalms has been enlightening.
So on day 6 of the Daniel Fast the Psalm I read was Psalm 13. The verse that stood out to me was v.6: “I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me.” Bet you can guess what I drew in my notebook. Yes, you were right: music notes all around baskets that were overflowing. So apart of my morning devotion time, I meditated on and thanked God for His bountiful blessings, mercy and grace in my life.
Slowing down has such benefits. It takes effort as well as time, but again the rewards are so great. The Daniel Fast is another way of slowing down. Taking time out to focus on the spiritual so you can do better and be better where it really counts.
My hope for you is that you too will be able to find ways to pause, slow down and invest in yourself where you can.
Journals Within 