Instructions for the D-Group H.E.A.R. Journal

 

Journaling can play an influential role to help you organize your thoughts and identify how God may be speaking to you through a passage of Scripture. Here are instructions on how to use the D-Group

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H.E.A.R. journal format. The intent is to read five chapters a week, and journal how God speaks to you using the H.E.A.R. journaling format.

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H.E.A.R. – Highlight, Explain, Apply, Respond

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• The H.E.A.R. journaling method promotes reading the Bible with a life-transforming purpose. The focus is not to check off the boxes. The purpose is instead to read in order to understand and respond to God’s Word.

• The acronym H.E.A.R. stands for Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. Each of these four steps contributes to creating an atmosphere to hear God speak.

• Before reading the text, pause to sincerely ask God to speak to you. It may seem trite, but it is important that we seek God’s guidance in order to understand His Word

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Description of the H.E.A.R. Format

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• H – Highlight:

  • Find a verse or passage that God used to speak to you

  • Come up with a one-word descriptor of the verse/passage

• E – Explain:

  • What is the meaning and the context of the verse/passage?

    • How does it fit into the verses before and after it?

    • What is this passage intending to communicate?

  • It is important to find proper application within the proper context

• A – Apply:

  • What does the verse/passage mean for you?

  • What does it look like practically, today?

  • How can this verse help me?

  • What is God saying to me?

• R – Respond:

  • What are you going to do now?

  • This can be a prayer, or an action/activity