Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Letters to God

Susan of bipolarwellness.blogspot.com (sorry, Susan, my computer is acting up again and I can't create a link) is doing a series on writing for wellness, something I'm very interested in. My emotional health has greatly improved from writing - writing in my journal, in emails to friends, in blogging, and in writing my books. My last book, A Firm Place to Stand, to be released in the next month, has especially strengthened me.

This made me think: If prayer is good for our health, and if writing is good for our health, how very good writing prayers would be for us. My journaling is often in the form of letters to God and I've found those letters very healing. If pouring out our emotions and our needs is a good thing, how much better a thing it would be to pour this out to our heavenly Father who loves us.

These journalled prayers are good to look back on as well. I've often gone back to read them and find out they've been answered. Not only is it therapeutic to write; it's also therapeutic to go back and read what we've written.

Writing for ourselves is one thing, but it's even better when we write for others. Sharing our feelings with others unburdens us, allowing other people - and God - to help us carry the pain.

6 comments:

Spin Original said...

I enjoy writing prayers, and often at the end of my journal entries I write a prayer. I find that after I pour out all the stuff inside, I want to give it to God and not just leave it sitting in my journal. Writing prayers brings much healing. I enjoy writing them for other people as well. If I know someone that is going through a difficult time, or I just want to encourage them, I'll often email them a prayer. That way, they can go back and read it, knowing they have someone to "agree with" so it "will be done".

Bless you, Marja. You are an inspiration to me!!!

JC said...

I find it ironic that you called your post "letters to God". I just opened up a new blog that is strictly mine with no links- under a different profile and unsearchable- but it is entitled "Letters to God." It is my new prayer journal. Ever since bipolar came into my life I haven't been able to resst at my bed with my little book and pen, so I've begun to do it on the computer and I've dressed up my journal online beautifully. And I can use the categories as links to whatever I pray for so that I can go back and see how God has answered prayers for specific situations or people. Anyway yeah, that's the title of my new blog! So cool huh?

marja said...

PJ: Talking to God in our journal can become a wonderful habit. When I pour out stuff I'll often turn to God in the middle. He's always there with me in my journaling. And a thought: We can pray for people in our writing online too - part of our comments to people can be in the form of a prayer.

marja said...

Jena: You just happening to have started an online journal with the same title as my post today - I would call that a God thing, wouldn't you?

All the best with your journaling. I hope you'll find it healing - very healing. ...and I think you will.

Take care.

sbwrites said...

Dear Marja,
During the six-year period when I was so ill, I frequently wrote letters to God. But rather than writing them on paper, I wrote them "in my head" each night before I went to bed. Oddly enought, it was the only way I could fall asleep.

Susan

marja said...

Hi Susan. I wish I could talk as well to God as I can write to Him. I seem to do much better at formulating my thoughts with a pen in hand.

But whichever way we talk with God, in our heads, speaking out loud, or in writing, it does give us a sense of peace knowing we have Someone greater than ourselves who we can trust to look after us, eh? It brings such peace.