When most people think of a rich spiritual life, they might envision clouds, angelic music, hours of deep silence, and hearing God tell them exactly what to do next. In reality, our spiritual lives often mirror our ordinary lives. Stolen pockets of time before the world and our house wakes up, snippets of prayers while driving, cooking, or working are interspersed with those planned times of sitting with God.
When we do have those times of sitting with him, we want to remember what he says, how we feel, and what strikes us the most. The best way to do all of those is to keep a prayer journal.
“Oh, I don’t like to journal.” “It’s faster for me to process in my head and not write it down.” “I have terrible handwriting.” “It seems silly, girly, so touchy-feely, pointless.” “What if someone reads it?” I have heard all of this. I may have said one or two of those myself.
Journaling is a discipline. It is a tool. It is a gift. It is worth the effort.
Why is it worth the effort?
When we write we can synthesize information, remember what happened in prayer and over time, and see our history and growth. And, we have notes for our spiritual direction appointments!
In just thirty minutes of prayer there is quite a bit of mental activity. First, you are reading scripture or a spiritual book, then you sit with it, turn over what struck you a few times in your mind, ask some questions, and then sit, waiting on a response. That is what you journal about.
I always–okay, most of the time–write the date and scripture passage or book title and page of what I am praying with that day.
Then after a slow reading of the passage, I go back and write down what strikes me, want I want to pray with, a sentence that answers today’s need. Whatever it is, I write it down so I can remember it. And, if necessary, go back to it. Sure, do I want to believe if the phrase or word is so powerful I’ll recall it? Too many times, I have thought that and been wrong; I stand up from my prayer chair, and the thought is gone. Write it down.
Then sit with what I have read and written. Not adding my thoughts yet simply sitting and allowing it to soak into my soul. My soul is where I will converse with God.
After a time, I come back to my journal and write – thoughts, new ideas, how does this apply to my life today, what did God say, a wound revealed, a sin discovered, God’s grace or healing. Whatever has happened I note it.
All those things do not happen each and every prayer time. Sometimes all I write is what struck me and then some thoughts about it. There is nothing earth shattering. It may not even seem particularly holy. But it is there, a reminder that I was present to God and he to me.
What do I do with these notes?
These notes, your journal entries, can be used in many ways, if you go back to them. It is good practice to have a day to review your prayer times. Once a week is ideal or at least once a month to prepare for spiritual direction time. Go back and notice if certain words or themes show up a few times, or note the questions you raised but did not come to a conclusion about. Is there a word from God that you have been avoiding? Some people have color coding for different areas, I usually star or circle a comment.
Sometimes your journal reveals that you have not been praying as often as you thought you were. This could explain why you feel a bit out of sorts or far from God. Or you may see that you have prayed as often as you planned.
Your journal will reflect back to you where you have struggled, what you talked to God about, and what he revealed to you. Did you act on those revelations?
You will read what you have learned about yourself and how you handled demanding situations. The notes will show you God’s grace. These journals become your history with God. So often we ask, in challenging times, where is God? Our journals show us where he was and what he did and how we were able to move forward.
Try Not to Censor Yourself
In order for your journal to be of benefit, you need to be honest in your writing. Write from your prayer experience. In a sense, it is an extension of your prayer time. If your prayer was dry or felt meaningless, write that. God knows you and will not be shocked or surprised by your thoughts.
The purpose of the journal is not to draft a prize-winning book. It is to put into words your feelings and thoughts, God’s words to you, and sometimes what action needs to be taken or habit that needs to change.By writing it down we help remember what has happened. And when we remember, we can put our prayer into practice. It is when we put our prayer into practice that we can be a light in the world.
