OVERVIEW. Every believer is capable of hearing God directly through the Holy Spirit. We often have to slow down and make space to hear the voice of the Lord. We see this as the Lord called Samuel in the calm of the night or as He spoke to Elijah in a still, small voice. Immanuel Journaling is a practice that helps us become aware of God’s compassionate presence and hear Him speak into our lives.

Immanuel Journaling was developed by Jim Wilder, Anna Kang, Sungshim Loppnow, and John Loppnow in their book Joyful Journey: Listening to Immanuel. 

If you are engaging this practice with kids, or you are short on time, you can also shorten this practice.

Take a moment to sit, become present, and clear away distractions. Start by thanking God (for His presence or anything else that comes to mind).  When you're ready, fill in the following sentence:

___(your name)___, I want you to know that _________. (In question form as, “God, what do you want to tell me today?”)

Take a couple minutes to listen to the Lord. This is a practice in training to recognize the voice of the Lord. Remember that the Holy Spirit will always align with Scripture.

If you are doing this shortened practice with kids or friends, consider closing your time by sharing and reflecting on the following questions:

• What did the Lord share with you?
• How does that relate to your life right now?
• What is hard or easy about using this prompt to engage with the Lord? Why?