Tag Archives: Journaling

How To Journal Your Daily Devotions

 

5 Things You Will Need

  • Bible
  • Journal
  • Pen
  • Reading Schedule
  • Day planner or a note pad (use for writing down distracting thoughts as you journal)

Creating a Journal

  • If you cannot afford to purchase your own journal, you can easily make your own by using a spiral notebook or a three ring binder. Or simply use any generic book designed for journaling.
  • Begin by creating a table of contents in the front of your journal. At the top of each page of the Table of Contents, write down: Date, Scripture, Title/ Topic, and Page. If you are using a spiral notebook, be sure allow several pages in the front of your journal to list all of your journal entries.
  • Create your daily journaling pages. At the top of each of the journal pages, write down: Date, Scripture, Title and Page. You will journal on each of these pages using the S.O.A.P. acronym.
  • At the back of your journal create a personal prayer list. Allow several pages for all your prayer requests. Write down Date, Prayer, Date Answered.

Beginning to Journal – “3/20”

  • Spend the first few minutes praying, asking God to speak uniquely and specifically to your heart for that day. Begin by thanking Him for the day and the opportunity to hear from Him. This is the key to making the most of your journaling time. Ask God for your daily bread, and then allow Him to open your ears to His Word.
  • Spend the first 20 minutes reading the daily assigned portion of scriptures and read for one thought. Read for you. Don’t think about others and how your reading might apply to someone else. Be selfish during your devotional time; focus on hearing what God has for you. Ask God for one thought and as you are reading; be open to God causing a single verse to really be your focal point for that day. God will no doubt show you many insights as you read, but read for the one main thought God has for you that day. Be open to God speaking uniquely to your present circumstances. Often we approach God with an idea of what we think we need to hear from Him, when in fact God will often speak to another issue that may be even deeper than we realize.
  • Allow the Holy Spirit to mentor you through the men and women of God’s Word as you read. Don’t become overly focused on coming up with an idea of what to journal. Just relax and enjoy the presence of God as you read. Sometimes the first verse you read may be your thought for the day, but keep reading and be open to God showing you other truths.
  • Often I have felt as though a certain verse and thought was going to be my focal point for the day, but as I read, God changed it and gave me another even deep insight in another area. God know exactly what you need today, and He promises to meet you every day as you seek Him. Trust Him, knowing that He desires to equip you and empower you each day. Do not beat yourself up if something doesn’t come quickly.  Just prayerfully seek the Lord as to what He would like for you to know. If the regular reading is too large for you to finish in 20 minutes consider the lighter reading schedule. It is better to read and understand.
  • Spend the next 20 minutes journaling on that one thought that God is speaking to your heart about for that day. Use the acronym ‘S.O.A.P.’
  • Give your devotional a title
  • End your journal daily bible journaling with 20 minutes of prayer, and then share it with someone!
  • Be sure to record the Date, Scripture, Title & Page number in your Table of Contents in the front of your journal.

S  for Scripture Open your Bible to the reading  found under today’s date of your reading schedule. Take time to read and allow God to speak to you. Read straight through only highlighting specific verses that stand out to you, but be careful not to get caught up reading footnotes and cross references.  When you are done, look back at what stood out to you and then begin to look for a specific verse that spoke to you that day, and write the book, chapter and verse in your journal. There may be more than one, but prayerfully ask the Lord what He desires for you to focus in on.

O  for Observation  Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own works, in your journal. You are just observing right now what the verse (s) is saying and what it means or a general idea of what is going on. Observe who, what, when, why and where, actions, reactions and write down your thoughts but be careful not to apply it just yet. (Who, What, Where, When, Why?)

A for Application  Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to you and your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today or believe God is showing you through the lives and situations, both bad and good in the text. Ask yourself “what does God want me to do with what I have just read?”

P for Prayer  This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to

listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.

 

Sample Journal Entry

 Date:  11/21/11     Title:  The Musings of a King                     Page No. 10

S   I Chronicles 11:18 – So the three broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David; nevertheless David would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord and he said “Be it far from me before my God that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of these men who went at risk of their own lives?

O David didn’t have to shout at his men to go and bring the water. He didn’t command them to bring it. He simply mused about it. Just the suggestion of the king was enough to motivate these men to action.

A That kind of faith action is the epitome of honor and the fruit of that labor is worthy for only One, the Lord of Lords. There is no higher worship than to be able to recognize the heart sighs of the King, and that is sufficient to move me to take risks, and to break through the lines that the enemy has drawn.  How often I wait for a shout, but that does not please the King. I often wait for the hammer to fall before I move, yet I lift my voice in rapture to the latest worship chorus and I call that worship. Instead, worship at its highest level is developing my heart to such a level of sensitivity that even the musings of my King are enough to move me to action.

P Father, may I be so close to You that I can hear Your musings and be moved to action!

 

Sample of Table of Contents                                                                            

Date           Scripture                             Title / Topic                             Page

11/21/11   I Chronicles 11:18        The Musings of A King                   10

 

* This journaling technic is taken from thedivinementor.com

* If you have questions, email me @ peterfriese@calvarychapel.com

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“Rest” 05.03.11

Scripture

2 Samuel 7:9-11 (NASB)
“I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. 10 “I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, 11 even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you.

 

Observation

Here God brings to David’s memory His promise to give His people rest! God promised Israel that the LORD would bring them into a state of rest and that He would cut off all their enemies. God promised that He would remove from Israel everything thing that robbed them of their rest. The bible says that the LORD is the Lord of peace. Jesus Christ is the Prince of Peace, and God gives the ‘peace that surpasses all human understanding.’ God promised peace and rest to the nation of Israel. God’s plan was to bring Israel into a place of rest from all her enemies. God also declared that He would make them a house. In other words, He would become their place of rest. As they dwelt in the land of promise, they would find rest and as they remained in that place, they would abide in His rest.

 

Application

When God saved me, His plan from the start was to bring me into a place of true rest – a place where He had destroyed all my enemies: my flesh, the world and the devil. God has created a dwelling place for me to abide in. That place is the perfect place of rest, the perfect and never ending state of total peace. As I abide in Christ, I am abiding in that place of rest. That place where I dwell in the presence of God’s eternal peace. I note here also that it is God alone who gives this peace. It doesn’t come from the enemies. It doesn’t come from making peace with the world, my flesh or the devil. True peace can only come from God. False peace is all the world has to offer. The world’s peace is temporal and predicated upon external circumstances, but God’s rest/peace is predicated exclusively upon His promises. It’s internal, completely disconnected from life and external problems I face in life. It’s amazing that that is possible, but it is and that’s God’s promise to me not only today, but for every day of my life! Total 100% rest and peace in and through every trial that life may bring my way. God is peace. He is love and He is rest. The bible tells me to “see to it that I fail not to enter into this rest” (Hebrews). If I am lacking rest in my soul, I need to draw near to God and He will draw near to me. Read it again! God says that HE will bring TOTAL REST from ALL my enemies today. My enemies include everything today that threatens to rob me of God’s perfect rest. Give them to Jesus in exchange for His perfect rest.

 

Prayer

Father today I thank You for Your perfect rest, the peace that only You can give my heart. You tell me in Your Word, “I will keep his mind in perfect peace, who’s mind is stayed upon Thee”, and today Lord I choose to keep my mind fixed upon You. Not upon the enemies of rest. Not upon those issues that stress me out and cause me to doubt Your great love. Today Lord I choose to abide in Your rest. I choose to abide in your rest. I’m Yours and Your rest is my reward for choosing to believe You and dwell in Your holy presence. I love You! In Jesus’ name, amen.

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“Fences”

Scripture

“…and the border ended at the sea…”  Joshua 15:4b

Observation

The blessings of God for the nation of Israel, resided within the boundaries that He has established for them. As God allotted the land of Canaan to each tribe of the nation of Israel, God specified every exacting border. For each tribe, God had predetermined where in the land and how much of the land each tribe would receive. Every tribe received exactly the portion of land that God had allotted for them. No more, no less and nowhere else. God hand-picked these ‘fences’ around their lives. If they wanted to be blessed, they must abide inside those boundaries. Nobody could force them to live outside those boundaries, but if they were not alert, the enemy could draw them out. God had established boundaries around His people for their good, and as long as they stayed within those boundaries, God blessed them. God gave them much more land than they ever did come to possess. One of the tribes complained that their portion was too small, yet God said, “No it isn’t, just clear the land and you’ll have plenty of room.” The question was not – ‘was God’s blessing big enough’, but rather ‘would they take possession of all that God had given them’? The nation of Israel never did take possession of all that God had given them.

Application

God has established the boundaries of my life, and He has established them for my good. Boundaries are like fences, and fences serve a two-fold purpose – they keep the good in, and the evil out. Many people are under the misunderstanding that true freedom comes from living without any boundaries. Yet here we learn that God establishes boundaries around the lives of those He loves. The boundaries are for the good of those God loves. The Lord loves me so much that He has set boundaries around my life. He has established ‘fence lines’ around my life and in order for me to remain blessed, I must live within His prescribed guidelines. Even children desire boundaries within their lives. It proves that their parents love them enough to restrict them. Often people think that they will be too restricted by boundaries within their lives, but just tell that to the people of Mississippi when the Levy broke and let the sea in. The purpose of the Levy was to keep the water out and the homes dry. Without a Levy there would be chaos. I am reminded of what King David said in Psalms 139:5-6 “You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; It is high, I cannot attain it.” God has hedged me in. His hedge holds in the blessings, and keeps the sin out. So often Satan wants me to think that the hedges represent boundaries that God uses to keep me from all the pleasures of life. But in reality, the hedges are really God’s way of protecting me & keeping me from harm and the consequences of sin. When I see the ‘hedges’ around my life, I need to praise God for loving me enough that He would want to protect me. I must resist the temptation to ‘jump the fence’ and cross the boundaries that God has set up for me. I must guard my mind to not allow the enemy to tempt to think that somehow the ‘real blessings’ are on the other side of the fence. God has more blessings for me within my prescribed boundaries than  I will ever be able to experience in my lifetime, so why listen to the enemy and keep my mind fixed on those things God has forbidden? If I want to be truly blessed, I must look for the blessings of God within my boundaries. Satan cannot rob me of the blessings of God upon my life so long as I abide in God’s boundaries, but he will try to deceive me to crossing over my boundaries into unknown land. It’s there that I will be removed from blessing and the true fellowship with God. As I read in my devotions today,Paul said in 1 Cor. 8, that I must never use my liberties to cross over boundaries that could stumble another believer who is young in their faith. God has blessed me with boundaries and I must live within them if I want to continually enjoy fellowship with my Lord. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. I don’t want to be a believer who merely knows what to do, I want to be a believer who knows what to do and does it. I desire to live within my boundaries so that I never use my liberties to stumble others. I need to learn to keep my eyes on ‘my own property’! If a man spends his days always longing for what he doesn’t have, he will never enjoy the things he does have. If I am always looking to expand my boundaries (liberties), then I am really failing to see all the blessings God has for me as I abide in Christ. Today I choose to embrace the hedges that God has placed around my life, realizing that my true blessings take place only as I abide within. I must seek and maintain the boundaries of: time, thought and deeds. Today I choose not to see how close to the ‘fence’ that I can live and still be in fellowship, rather I choose to live in the middle of the pasture that God has created, just for me!

Prayer

Father today I thank You for my boundaries, as I realize that You have placed boundaries around my life because You love me, not to keep me from ‘enjoying a good time’. Thank You for the hedge that you have placed about my life, it reveals Your awesome love for me. Thank You Lord that You chasten me when I cross those lines because You do not want me to be like this world. Help me to remember today that I belong to You, and as I drive down the roads and see those fence lines, may those fences be a constant reminder of Your love to me! Amen.

 

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“Jettisoning My Load” (Daily Devotions 2.20.11)

S – Scripture

Acts 27:18 (NASB)
The next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo;

O – Observation

The Apostle Paul was on a boat headed for Rome. Before they set sail, the Lord gave Paul a ‘word of knowledge’ – encouraging them not to set sail. But neither the sea-captain, nor the Centurion paid any attention to Paul’s words. So they set sail with a fully loaded boat, and 276 passengers. As they began to sail a Northeastern storm rose up and threatened to destroy them and their ship. The men did their best to try to sail around or through the storm, but the more they struggled, the worse thing became. Finally, after all their efforts had failed, they began to jettison all their cargo. They threw over-board everything that they could get their hands on in a vain effort to save the ship. Finally they ended up tossing the grain overboard and cut the anchors, allowing the storm to drive them towards land.

A – Application

It’s amazing how precious the possessions of this world appear when life is well. Things in life seem to have so much allure when a person is young and healthy. Life seems like it is ours for the taking, and so many people (even Christians) can become consumed with personal wealth and material possessions. It’s funny how our values change when our health fails, our marriage is in trouble, or our family falls apart. At the end of a man’s life, nothing he has accumulated will ever bring him comfort. When times are hard, that’s when you find out where true value belongs.

P – Prayer

Father, today remind me of the true values in life! Help me to jettison everything out of my life that will not benefit me throughout eternity:  relationships, possessions and  activities. Thank You that You have already empowered me to jettison from my life, everything that is not the ‘best’ – things that simply take my time, money and energy and have no eternal benefit. I surrender my ‘ship’ to Your spring cleaning. Help me to be open to all that You would desire to jettison from my life! Amen.

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“Bound to Christ” (Daily Devotions 2.13.11)

S – Scripture

But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

O – Observation

The Apostle Paul had devoted his life to fulfilling the call of God upon his life. He did not consider his life as dear to himself. In other words, he did not reserve any rights to his life, but rather he devoted himself totally to God so that he might finish the course given to him by God. Paul realized that he could never finish his course if he restricted God’s authority over his life. Had he counted his goals and desires as being dear to him, he would have had two masters. Jesus said you will either love one and hate the other, or you will cling to one and despise the other. Paul realized early on that his only goal in life must be that of fulfilling the call of God upon his life, and that would only happen through total self-denial.

A – Application

Fulfilling the call of God upon my life is a day by day process. If I want to fulfill the call of God upon my life today, then I must live today in total self-denial. The only way that I will hear Jesus say to me “Well done, good and faithful servant,” is to live full-out for Him now. I must never count my life as dear to me. I must never reserve or restrict God from having total authority over every area of my life. He totally died for me, so that I might totally live for Him!

P – Prayer

Father I pray today that You might search me and try me and see if I have reserved or restricted any area of my life from Your total control. Today, again I chose to give up every right to my life and with great joy, I chose to follow You alone! I surrender my life to You today so that I might live a life that brings You glory. I love you LORD! Amen

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“Living Bold” (Daily Devotions 2.11.11)

S – Scripture

And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent; for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city.” And he settled there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. Acts 18:9-11

O – Observation

The Apostle Paul was a true man of God. He was led by the Spirit of God and he obeyed the Lord. Whether God brought him to a city for a few days or several months. Paul was not his own, he simply fulfilled the call of God upon his life by following the Lord from city to city. Paul never did a demographic study or attempted to be a man pleaser, nor did Paul ever run when the going got tough – he simply yielded his life to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Paul simply taught the word of God and did not allow the people’s response (good or bad) to sway him. Whether he was well received or even hated and persecuted, Paul went from city to city as God led him.

A – Application

I must guard my mind from what people think as I live my life in obedience to the call of God upon my life. My mind, my goals, my thoughts, must always remain on pleasing the Lord. I cannot allow the standards of modern man to become my measuring stick to success. The key to success is ‘determining where God has called me to serve Him, and then simply abiding in the center of His will’. Whether a few months or many years, God has much more to accomplish through my life. My goals and life’s ambition must always be to please my LORD. If God leaves me right where I am for the rest of my life, that is because that is where He has chosen to do an even greater work!

P – Prayer

“Father today I pray that I would be totally consumed in pleasing You! Make my heart to dwell in the center of Your will. Whether the enemy comes and tries to tempt me away from You, may I always realize that true joy and contentment comes from living for You! Give me a heart that seeks to please and glorify You alone. Close my ears to both the praises and complaints of men. Cause my heart to be so captivated by doing Your will, that I can think of nothing else. I love You!” Amen.

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“Ulitmate Burnout” (2.9.11 Devotions)

S – Scripture

Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them and they died before the LORD.  Leviticus 10:1-2

O – Observation

Nadab and Abihu were son’s of Aaron and men who were called of God to fulltime ministry. Although they were called of God to be in the ministry, they failed to the LORD and experienced the ‘Ultimate Burnout’ from ministry because they relied on ‘strange fire’. God had provided His Holy fire to empower them for the work of the ministry. But instead of relying on God’s strength to fulfill their ministries, they relied on the ‘strange fire’ of their fleshly strength and ended up paying the ultimate price – Total Burnout!

A – Application

Where God guides, He provides. Whatever God calls me to do, and wherever God calls me to serve, He has already provided for me His ‘Holy Fire’ which is the power of being filled with His Spirit! When i am consumed by His ‘Holy Fire’, I will never burnout in serving my LORD, but if I begin to rely on the ‘strange fire’ of my fleshly strength, i will quickly burnout. the key for me to keep from burning out is to daily be filled with God’s Holy Fire. The only way that i can be consumed by God’s Holy Fire is for me to constantly dwell in His presence.

P – Prayer

“Father, thank You for Your Holy Fire. I pray that today You would fill the firepan of my soul with Your Holy Fire! Fire me up with joy, excitement and a heart that anticipates great and awesome things that you have planned for me today! By faith, I receive a fresh filling of Your Holy Fire as I draw near to You.”  Amen.

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How to Journal your Devotions

What you need to journal

  • Bible
  • Journal
  • Pen
  • Day planner or a note pad (use for writing down distracting thoughts as you journal)

 

Creating a Journal

  • If you cannot afford to purchase your own journal, you can easily make your own by using a spiral notebook or a three ring binder. Or simply use any generic book designed for journaling.
  • Begin by creating a table of contents in the front of your journal. At the top of each page of the Table of Contents, write down: Date, Scripture, Title/ Topic, and Page. If you are using a spiral notebook, be sure allow several pages in the front of your journal to list all of your journal entries.
  • Create your daily journaling pages. At the top of each of the journal pages, write down: Date, Scripture, Title and Page. You will journal on each of these pages using the S.O.A.P. acronym.
  • At the back of your journal create a personal prayer list. Allow several pages for all your prayer requests. Write down Date, Prayer, Date Answered.

 

Beginning to Journal

  • Spend the first few minutes praying, asking God to speak uniquely and specifically to your heart for that day. Begin by thanking Him for the day and the opportunity to hear from Him. This is the key to making the most of your journaling time. Ask God for your daily bread, and then allow Him to open your ears to His Word as you read.
  • Spend the first 20 minutes reading the daily assigned portion of scriptures and read for one thought. Read for you. Don’t think about others and how your reading might apply to someone else. Be selfish during your devotional time, focus on hearing what God has for you. Ask God for one thought and as you are reading, be open to God causing a single verse to really be your focal point for that day. God will no doubt show you many insights as you read, but read for the one main thought God has for you that day. Be open to God speaking uniquely to your present circumstances. Often we approach God with an idea of what we think we need to hear from Him, when in fact God will often speak to another issue that may be even deeper than we realize.
  • Allow the Holy Spirit to mentor you through the men and women of God’s Word as you read. Don’t become overly focused on coming up with an idea of what to journal. Just relax and enjoy the presence of God as you read. Sometimes the first verse you read may be your thought for the day, but keep reading and be open to God showing you other truths.
  • Often I have felt as though a certain verse and thought was going to be my focal point for the day, but as I read, God changed it and gave me another even deep insight in another area. God knows exactly what you need today, and He promises to meet you every day as you seek Him. Trust Him, knowing that He desires to equip you and empower you each day.
  • Spend the next 20 minutes journaling on that one thought that God is speaking to your heart about for that day. Use the acronym ‘S.O.A.P.’
  • Give your devotional a title
  • End your journal daily bible journaling with 20 minutes of prayer, and then share with someone what the Lord gave you during your time of journaling.
  • Be sure to record the Date, Scripture, Title & Page number in your Table of Contents

 

S.O.A.P.

 

S          for Scripture

Open your Bible to the reading found under today’s date of your Bible bookmark. Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. When you are done, look for a verse that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.

O        for Observation

What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own works, in your journal.

A    for Application

Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.

P    for Prayer

 This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.

  

Sample Journaling Page

 

Title:

 

S_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

O___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

P___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Daily scripture readings for the month of February

6th   [] Lev. 1-3; Acts 13                                  19th [] Num. 5-6; Ps. 22; Acts 26

7th   [] Lev. 4-6; Acts 14                                  20th [] Num. 7; Ps. 23; Acts 27

8th    [] Lev. 7-9; Acts 15                                  21st  [] Num. 8-9; Acts 28

9th   [] Lev. 10-12; Acts 16                              22nd []Num. 10-11; Ps. 27; Mark 1

10th [] Lev. 13, 14; Acts 17                             23rd [] Num. 12-13; Ps. 90; Mark 2

11th [] Lev. 15-17; Acts 18                              24th [] Num. 14-16; Mark 3

12th [] Lev. 18-19; Ps. 13; Acts 19                  25th [] Num. 17-18; Ps. 29; Mark 4

13th [] Lev. 20-22; Acts 20                              26th [] Num. 19-20; Ps. 28; Mark 5

14th [] Lev. 23-24; Ps. 24; Acts 21                  27th [] Num. 21-23; Mark 6-7

15th [] Lev. 25; Ps. 25-26; Acts 22                  28th [] Num. 24-27; 1 Cor. 13

16th [] Lev. 26-27; Acts 23

17th [] Num. 1-2; Acts 24

18th [] Num. 3-4; Acts 25

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