Science Shows Journaling Increases Brain Health

Mark Virkler's picture

I was sent an email recently with a link over to this five-minute video and this message: “Here’s scientific proof of the value of journaling presented by a pediatric neurologist. Although he’s not talking about listening to God, just the practice of journaling has healing results for the brain/emotions. How much more when journaling what God says!” - Roger.


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I watched the video and awoke the next morning with this question.

Lord, is it true that hand-written journaling is better than typing out my dialogue with You?

Mark, when you become still and type from flow. That is better than when someone types out classroom notes while listening to a teacher. It is deeper, and you can pause and do it slower, and you are using pictures, as your eyes are fixed on Me.

So typing, or speaking forth a prophecy, if done using the four keys of stillness, vision, spontaneity, and journaling/speaking, is good, whether you are writing by hand, speaking, or typing, as your heart and both hemispheres of your brain are engaged.

Fixing your eyes on Me engages the right hemisphere; typing, speaking, writing all engage the left hemisphere, and flow engages your heart and My spirit, which is united to your heart.

So combining the four keys is the best of the best of the best. It is fine to accomplish, with either handwriting, typing, or speaking, as long as all four keys are being utilized.

Mankind searches for MY truth and finds it bit by bit. However, I have REVEALED to you the four keys which combine MANY bits of truth into ONE package. Blessed are those who use these as a bundle, for they are receiving and writing as the prophets of old did. They are restored to the fullness of My revelatory flow within them. Behold, I have spoken. Behold, it is to be done.

You do remember the meditation I led you on, where you examined the top ten writers in the Bible and found they ALL USED ALL FOUR KEYS. What more do you need than that as evidence that TRUTH has been discovered and revealed?

Now go and teach the four keys to the world as I have commanded you to.

Yes, Lord.

Thank you, My son.

Journaling Question

Lord, what would You speak to me concerning using the four keys to receive and release Your revelation to the world? How important are they? How important is it to use all four keys?

Prayer

Lord, grant me full freedom in utilizing all four keys of stillness, vision, flow, and journaling. Reveal any hindrances within me that hold me back from believing and doing all four keys. I break off any lie that I should not or cannot use all four keys fully and completely. These are lies from the father of lies. They have no place within me. They have no power over me. I repent for receiving them, believing them, and acting in accordance with them. I bind all such demons and cast them down in Jesus' name. You have no place within me. BE GONE NOW in JESUS' name! You are liars from the pit of hell. I can and I will use these four keys just as the writers of Scripture did. The Bible and the Spirit will be my guide and my strength to accomplish all that God has revealed that I am to do. I CAN LIVE THE BIBLE! I break off any thought that says I can’t!

Thank You, Lord, for setting me free and empowering me to live a supernatural life. Thank You that I am not bound by my culture, my natural limitations, likes or dislikes, or the lies of the enemy. Thank You that You set me free to be all that You have ordained and commanded me to be. I receive Your ALL, Lord. I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH Christ, who has set me free.

Those whom the SON has set free are free indeed!

Questions

Am I a second-class Christian if I don’t use all four keys comfortably in my daily life? The answer is NO, there are no second-class Christians.

However, you are missing out on some of God’s provisions if you are not availing yourself of everything He spreads out on His banquet table for you.

How can I avail myself of everything on His banquet table? Answer: One step at a time. Both Old and New Testaments speak of the path getting brighter and brighter (Prov. 4:18; 2 Pet. 1:19). As long as we are hungry for all that God wants to give us, and we maintain open and seeking hearts, revelation continues, and we take one step after another into His unfolding glory. That has surely been the case in my life. Paul says, “I press on… not having obtained" (Phil. 3:12-15).

So we all press on into INCREASING light and revelation, for our entire lives. Receiving and releasing more and more of His glory each and every day of our lives. No rush. We cease our labors and enter His rest (stillness - Heb. 4), and tune to His flow (Jn. 7:37-39), as our eyes are fixed on Jesus (Heb. 12:1,2).

It truly is a wonderful life we live, in perfect peace, as we wade deeper and deeper into the waters of the Holy Spirit (Ezek. 47:1-5). Never stop wading out into deeper waters! Never stop.

Recall Jesus, our perfect example, who heard His Father's voice, saw visions, and felt God’s compassion. So He was auditory, visual, and kinesthetic, all three. He told me in my journaling not to speak a word curse over myself and say I couldn’t be one of these three, but to press in and cultivate all three.

Perfect theology

According to Bill Johnson, and I certainly agree, Jesus is perfect theology. And, He used all four keys. Jesus did nothing of His own initiative, but only what He heard and saw the Father doing (Jn. 8:28).

  1. Stop - Become still – Jesus went alone to pray (Matt. 14:23)
  2. LookLook for vision – “I do only those things I see the Father doing” (Jn. 5:19,20; 8:38)
  3. ListenRecognize God’s voice as spontaneous thoughts – “I do only those things I hear from the Father” (Jn. 5:30; 8:26)
  4. Write – Journaling - Jesus wrote in the sand (Jn. 8:6)

Make this golden pattern a part of your daily life!

Hearing God's voice is as simple as quieting yourself down,
fixing your eyes on Jesus, tuning to spontaneity, and writing.


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How to Walk by the Spirit

How to Walk by the Spirit

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 136 Pages | Previous name "Sense Your Spirit"

Are you like many western Christians who have been taught little about how to sense their spirits? Do you have trouble even defining what spirit sensations feel like within you, much less recognizing them? This training was birthed from Mark’s passion to live out of his spirit, and thus release the anointing of God. The problem he faced was lack of clear biblical definition as to what his spirit felt like. So Mark looked up every verse in the Bible on heart and spirit.

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Intimacy with the Holy Spirit

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by Mark and Patti Virkler | 223 Pages

This book leads you in meditating on and journaling about two hundred and fifty verses that discuss the Holy Spirit. You will grow in intimacy with the indwelling Holy Spirit, and the anointing within you will increase! You will exclaim as the disciples did on the Emmaus Road “Did not our heart burn within us…while He opened to us the scriptures?” (Luke 24:32)! In addition to being led to journal through these verses, you will read numerous two-way journal entries from Mark Virkler, as well as a five-page prayer at the conclusion of the book.

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by Karen Barnes | 98 Pages

This book will inspire you and train you to teach children to minister in the power of the Spirit! And the stories it contains will bring tears to your eyes! Kids Can is a message for the children of today about their destiny tomorrow. When kids encounter the pure essence of Jesus, they will become empowered, equipped and energized to serve Him accurately and with amazing clarity. As they hear His voice and are encouraged in their giftings, strong leaders are created and maturity, vision and skills are fine tuned.

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Lamad Biblical Education Association

Lamad Biblical Education Association

4 Co-authors | 44 Pages

FINALLY - A Spirit-Anointed Epistemology! A system of knowing for the Spirit-filled believer. A fresh moving of the Holy Spirit has been upon the Church of Jesus Christ for the last 100 years, since the Asuza Street Revival in 1902. In all that time the Spirit-filled community of believers (now numbering 27% of all Christendom), had yet to delineate an approach to learning which restored the Holy Spirit to His rightful place as the primary Teacher in our midst.

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Lamad Faculty Handbook

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by Mark and Patti Virkler | 78 Pages

This book presents lamad (revelation-based learning) standards  for teachers and curriculum writers. Lamad is a Hebrew word found in the Old Testament and it is translated "to teach" or "to learn."  It is a kind of learning that involves the Holy Spirit granting divine revelation to the heart of man. Thus it goes beyond western rationalism as a learning methodology.

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Living with Jesus - Book 3

Living with Jesus Book 3 – Talking and Listening

by Daphne Kirk | 47 Pages

This delightful book teaches children ages 4-8 the four keys to hearing God's voice and gets them started journaling (drawing pictures if writing is too hard for them) and seeing vision.  It is ideal for parents and children to use together, or for use in a children’s Sunday school class or children’s home group.

Book 3 - Talking and Listening - Hearing the voice of God.

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Living with Jesus Book 6 - What Do We Choose?

Living with Jesus Book 6 - What Do We Choose?

by Daphne Kirk | 47 pages

The Living with Jesus series is a unique, exciting  and transformational discipleship course for children, taking them through the fundamentals of the Christian faith in a relational, interactive and challenging way, always applying to their lives the commands to love God, love one another and love the lost.

Book 6 - What Do We Choose? introduces children to making kingdom choices.

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Living with Jesus Book 7 - Having Faith

Living with Jesus Book 7 - Having Faith

by Daphne Kirk | 47 pages

The Living with Jesus series is a unique, exciting  and transformational discipleship course for children, taking them through the fundamentals of the Christian faith in a relational, interactive and challenging way, always applying to their lives the commands to love God, love one another and love the lost.

Book 7 - Having Faith introduces children to a life of faith.

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Living with Jesus Book 8 - Staying Protected

Living with Jesus Book 8 - Staying Protected

by Daphne Kirk | 47 pages | Published 1999

The Living with Jesus series is a unique, exciting  and transformational discipleship course for children, taking them through the fundamentals of the Christian faith in a relational, interactive and challenging way, always applying to their lives the commands to love God, love one another and love the lost.

Book 8 - Staying Protected introduces children to spiritual warfare.

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Operations Manual

Operations Manual

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 134 Pages

We have helped hundreds of churches establish Schools of Ministry or church-centered Bible schools over the last 25 years. This manual draws together insights and approaches for how to do it easier, faster and better. Enjoy as you build on the success of those who have gone before you.

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