Joyful Journey: Listening to Immanuel

by E. James Wilder

God is present. Here. Now. Experiencing God's presence brings healing, peace and connection. But, like any other relationship, experiencing God's presence takes practice.

Joyful Journey will teach you how to practice God's presence every day. Discover how you can enjoy daily guidance and friendship with God, using methods grounded in scripture, spiritual disciplines and cutting-edge neuroscience.

Surprising joy. Profound healing. Intimate connection. Available to anyone. Learn how with Joyful Journey!

Jane Willard, wife of Dallas Willard and one of the creators of the life model, says this about Joyful Journey,

"I have personally used the method often and have been 'spreading the news' widely. It has been life changing for so many people!"

Genres: Prayer, Christian Living, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Christianity, Faith, Christian Non Fiction

74 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 6, 2015

About the author

This author is also published under the pen name Jim Wilder.

Reviews

[D.J. Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyful Journey is a fantastic personal growth / transformational book. My only complaint was the cost for such a slim book, but then I found out I could have bought it for a better price directly from Life Model Works (see also the JoyStartsHere website). Life Model Works joins brain science with spiritual life and scripture. This particular book walks the reader through improving awareness that God is with us, God is good, and God is willing to help us. The fourth chapter guides the readers through what to do with the disconnect that comes through trauma and intense emotions. The steps in journaling start in chapter five although I was introduced first to the journaling aspect of Joyful Journey. One more general comment: the authors address both fears within the Christian community ("Are you sure this is scriptural?") and the connections to what we are learning about the brain. Essentially we have a Creator who designed our brains for connection -- "neurologists are even identifying that there is a region in our prefrontal cortex in charge of how we conduct ourselves that is nourished and developed best in this environment of loving relationships. Through these connections we actually become our true selves as God originally intended. We are able to have meaningful relationships and develop our brains and minds for success and abundance through loving connections" (11).

Chapter Six develops Immanuel journaling within community and with community, the practice of "shalom check". Shalom check can help guide the journaler in knowing if this is "the right relationship, at the right time, in the right place, at the right strength and in the right amount" to share with people (52). Also, I find it a good check for knowing those same qualities of God's peace, shalom, for myself and my actions, my journaling. The authors' checklist for shalom include:

Do I feel peacefully calm? (This topic "fits" together correctly now.)
Am I sensing God's loving presence? (Underlining mine.)
Am I confident that nothing can take me away from God's love?
Am I portraying my weakness accurately?
Am I still sensing God's interactive presence in my painful memory?
Have my joy, peace, and hope increased?
Has my desire to love and serve others increased? (54).

This checklist would have invalidated the view of God which I grew up with. As I walk through Immanuel journaling, thankfulness fits in with most views of God. Sometimes that thankfulness is more along the lines of "Thank you for not squashing me like a bug today" than along the lines of "Thank you for the the beauty surrounding me" but gratitude is usually a given. The authors do make the connection between gratitude and the control center of the brain on the right hand side (34-45); however, if gratitude is impossible at the moment because our relational circuits (RCs) are off (covered in chapter four), then starting with what God sees in our body and what God hears from us, and stating to ourselves that God is with us (Immanuel), God wants to be with us, is a first step to restoring relational circuits. For more on how I applied this book to my life, https://englishpoiema.blogspot.com/20...

[Dennis Podryadchikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trauma hurts us. It hurts us several times. It hurts us when it takes place, and every time when it comes back. It also hurts us every time when we do not know what to do about it. In their book “Joyful Journey”, four authors suggest a safe and simple way of dealing with emotional drama. Their approach is faith-based and does not require psychological education. At the same time, some readers may struggle with the suggested experience of the presence of God, with which the authors skillfully deal throughout the book. All in all, the suggested approach to dealing with trauma is unique and has a potential of increasing one’s personal relationship with God both individually and in a group setting. Hence, not only will people going through trauma benefit from familiarizing themselves with the method but also those who are interested in deepening their experience of God in new and profound ways as well as those who seek to facilitate such experiences for others.

[Denesia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a great book!
A quick and easy read, and a very effective strategy for talking WITH God instead of AT Him! I've experienced a new level to my relationship wtih the Lord as I've been open to writing my perceived responses from Him according to the template they lay out in the book. This "template" they offer allows the Lord to connect with me on a deeper level than I was allowing before and I've felt deeper healing on a daily basis as we interact about everyday things!

[Stephen Redden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great process for approaching prayer. I would have rated it higher, but I thought the writing was poor quality. I found it distracting from engaging fully in the message of the book.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Any time a book starts with a testimonial from one of the authors that says “I was told that when I became a Christian, everything would be okay and that everything would be different. For me, this was one of the biggest lies I had ever encountered”, I’m intrigued. She cycled through doing all the “right” things with little change or transformation which led her to become quite disillusioned with church. Man, I can relate. She says, “Healing is not the absence of pain; rather, it is the presence of God and His continuing involvement in our lives” (p.6). The book goes on to teach a beautiful method of connecting and attuning to the Triune God as a way to increase shalom and joy in times of happiness as well as in times of sorrow or pain. This journaling method is also good for your brain, and can help to alleviate pain and unresolved trauma. I’ve been practicing for awhile now and I can attest to greater joy and shalom, even while going through treatment for breast cancer. There is a greater sense of connection and Attunement with Father, Son, and Spirit. Immanuel, God IS with us.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great booklet on how to do Immanuel Journaling and the why behind it. It is informational, practical, and meets your heart. I look forward to using this in my ministry and church!

[Ginger Ciminello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this practice of Immanuel Journaling and have utilized it for the past five years. (Deeply transformational!) I reread the book to prep for a workshop- and while I still highly recommend and value the practice, I think the book could do with a more clarifying round of edits.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic encouragement and practical tips.
"Immanuel means that God is always with us and desires in interact with us in all situations."

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the journal exercise based on this to be a good resource for teaching others to pray and lead them to interpersonal conversation with God. The book helped me understand the psychology and Christian principles behind the journal exercise. Easy read and a good tool for spiritual guides!

[chloë womble barr]

a very interesting concept that made me think a lot about how i view God. writing is clunky and there’s some grammatical errors tho and that definitely took me out of it.

[Dennis Podryadchikov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trauma hurts us. It hurts us several times. It hurts us when it takes place, and every time when it comes back. It also hurts us every time when we do not know what to do about it. In their book 1CJoyful Journey 1D, four authors suggest a safe and simple way of dealing with emotional drama. Their approach is faith-based and does not require psychological education. At the same time, some readers may struggle with the suggested experience of the presence of God, with which the authors skillfully deal throughout the book. All in all, the suggested approach to dealing with trauma is unique and has a potential of increasing one 19s personal relationship with God both individually and in a group setting. Hence, not only will people going through trauma benefit from familiarizing themselves with the method but also those who are interested in deepening their experience of God in new and profound ways as well as those who seek to facilitate such experiences for others.

[John Fletcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated what these authors were presenting in terms of a spiritual tool of journaling. The quality of writing felt disjointed because of how many authors there were behind the book. I think if there was a stronger editor overall the books message could have been boiled down to something more poignant and powerful. Regardless of the editorial black it was a good starting place in helping beginners understand how to have a dialogue with the Lord personally.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much easier read than many of the other books on Immanuel Prayer, though I love the brainscience stuff. Good introduction and practically impossible to do wrong!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So key for a living faith!

[Michel Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

The exercises in this book were very helpful to me, especially the 30 day exercise in gratitude. I could feel a shift in my soul after doing it.

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love everything life model - this book especially walks you through Immanuel journaling and thought rhyming with God.

[Ian · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of our challenges as believers is listening to God, well, in fact, hearing Him correctly. God is always talking to us and increasingly I believe His desire for us is an ongoing dialogue with Him during the day. But it's very easy to 'hear what we want to hear'. Our perceptions can lead us astray and give us a warped sense of who God is. As the authors state, being led by our perceptions can simply be another form of narcissism, believing everything we 'hear' to make us feel better ourselves. Journalling can achieve the exact same outcome.

This is a short book that helps outline how we can understand what the Lord might be saying to us. I liked their emphasis on the importance of gratitude journalling and seeking to receive the Lord's response to our gratitude. I find in my own walk with the Lord that gratitude opens the door to God as He loves hearing our praise, hence the importance of continual worship in our days.

The thought rhyming is the authors way of journalling with God, connecting with the Lord's heart and seeking to hear His thoughts on matters and responding appropriately thereon. They also introduce 'shalom checking' which is a means to help validate the process, that is, experiencing a degree of peace. But once again, the authors warn of the narcissistic habit of making one feel good about oneself.

This little book has intrigued me and has prompted me to draw closer to the Lord, for my desires to be consistent with His and to learn more about listening to His heart.

[Audrey Gerber · Rating 5 out of 5]

when love is not our norm anymore, we need to have our thoughts rhyme with God's once more. To remember that God is present, is truly good and persevere in doing good for us.
Although relational wounds blinds us in our recognition of God, there are ways to slowly recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit within us and return to shalom.
Through neuroplasticity, we can return to our original design of thankfulness and worship towards God and His Divine Presence in our life. We start building good memories of God's faithfulness instead of the traumas by listening to our Father after we thank Him and talk to Him. The quality and quantity of our interactions determine the strenght of our relationship. After a while, we grow in our mutual-state mind as we connect again and again and turn on our relational circuits. We learn that we are not alone in our suffering, we are seen and heard by God, we are truly understood in our situations and still valued regardless of what they are. God, the infinite initiator, can do something for us about what we are going through.
When we return to shalom, it is easier to share it with others and grow in our relational maturity. We grow to become the true church, centered around Immanuel.

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and easy-to-read little booklet that breaks down, in practical exercises, how to grow in attachment to God. This is primarily through interactive gratitude (writing out thankfulness to the Lord and then asking Him to respond), Immanuel journaling (writing out practically how he sees you, hears you, knows you, can help you) and sharing that in a group setting. I read this after reading "Renovated," where Jim Wilder cited it and the practices it describes several times. Very helpful, something I will be experimenting with and thinking about for a long while.

[Colm Alton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good one to read after reading Jim Wilders Renovated. This book is kind of a practical extension of that book. It offers a practice of aligning our thoughts with God and growing in sensing God's presence in our lives and situations. A lot of the practice involves journaling and gratitude. I give it 3 stars at the moment as I will need to try out this practice myself and I may revisit my rating depending on the results.

[Traci Minor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has changed forever how I connect with God. It very practically lays out how God can become your therapist. By teaching step by step how to listen to God & write what you hear, the book can help you to feel the unconditional love of God. I recommend this book for everyone, but especially those who have a harsh inner critic, or who tend to see God that way. I feel like begging everyone to make this their next book!

[Ashlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Key takeaway from this book: God desires to meet our basic need of emotional attunement (“I see you, I hear you”) when we are in pain.

I’ve been learning how to receive this kind of attention/care from others over the last six months in healthy group and 1-1 settings, but this book helped me understand how to allow my heart to truly receive it from God as well.

Highly recommend. If any of you feel led to read it, please talk with me about it!!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read this I kept wishing it was longer and more detailed. But, as I've put into practice the Immanuel journaling, I realized that it IS just a simple yet profound way to learn to hear the voice of God. I've picked this book up several times in the last year and have loved doing the journaling they teach. Easy to follow, Biblical, science-based and applicable to all.

[Diane E. Bible · Rating 5 out of 5]

In tune with God

This is a fresh expression of some timeless principles. I'm fascinated with the brain research that supports the principles and the possibility of total healing for people who have experienced pain. I want to re-read this book several times and begin my own process of journaling as a way to synchronize with God and His thoughts and ways.

[Beth Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and valuable content but I wish it had been edited more thoroughly. Just a bit more work than it needed to be to understand what they were trying to convey. I’m still looking forward to continuing to practice Immanuel journaling as a way to enjoy God’s presence and more shalom. It’s already been a blessing.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great intro to Immanuel prayer - definitely short, but packed with information, whether you are leading a group, facilitating for another person, or journaling on your own. I have been doing Immanuel Prayer for awhile now, and it has significantly changed my walk with God. Recommended.

[Megan Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A primer to help those who wish to learn the process of Immanuel journaling as a way of connecting to God. I find the process very refreshing and rewarding. I learned how to do it before reading the book, so the book offered a good refresher for me.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book with very practical application that I can’t wait to try.

Highly recommend to anyone who wants to elevate their spiritual life and experience the love of the Heavenly Father! Just do it

[Hannah Hardin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very hard read in the sense of feeling like it's trying to convince you the whole time of its importance in a very commercially way... But I do love the concept and believe this is a beautiful, rewarding, and life giving practice!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A small book but reading slowly helps in understanding how to process pain with Jesus using the way our brains & emotions work together. This is a very practical tool that needs to be put into practice!