I’ve journaled for decades.
Decades. I have a sundry collection of letter-to-God Word files (yes, I type them) that date back years. But journaling was never a particular part of my regular Bible study or prayer time. Rather, it was supplemental, something that I did as circumstances or feelings warranted: writing out my questions or realizations to God as a sort of prayer. I suspect I will always do that.
But with the intention to enrich and deepen my prayer life, I started a different kind of journaling recently. At the beginning of the day, after Bible study, I take a few minutes to hand-write a prayer for the day. It often touches on the day’s Scripture and how I hope to learn or grow in the Lord, with a focus on one or two intercessory requests. The goal is to learn to “pray deep,” and so I write the prayer in hopes that it will inform my day and set the tone. As the hours pass, I come back to that prayer and pray it over and over again, zeroing in on those few particular things I’ve written down.
Now, I find that the practice has been fruitful in ways that I expected. It reframes my day and often my attitude, leading me to look at things from a more godly perspective than I otherwise might. It keeps me disciplined. It has helped me to remember and pray for requests in a more meaningful and profound way. It has also helped me to cultivate an attitude of ongoing prayer, and to realize fully exactly how many of my requests and questions are fulfilled in a given day.
But one revelation was unexpected: the prayer journal has been showing me surprising patterns in my spiritual life.
I didn’t realize it until I was glancing back over a week’s worth of journals and pondering the contents, but I was surprised to see that there were a lot of things I could learn about myself and about God from the chronological occurrences of particular events. Here are a few:
1. Days that I felt particularly triumphant in God or particularly grateful to God were always followed by a “problem day”: a day where I was either anxious or uncertain or discontent about something, or frustrated or irritated. Spiritual attack? A weak point in my spiritual armor? The natural low after a high? I’m not sure, but now I’m on guard for it – and was actually able to head off one of those days recently when I saw it coming.
2. I am most excited with God and growing in God when I am doing. (Or, alternatively, I do a lot when I am most excited with God and growing in God.) The days that I did a lot of writing, or crafting, engaging in community stuff, or even running errands were days that I was really focused on the Lord and on prayer.
3. I start questioning the most and wondering the most and feeling the most discontent when I have loads of spare time.
4. I forget a lot of fulfilled prayer requests. I’ve always heard that God says “yes, no, or wait,” but I was surprised by the amount of yes – almost always when I was praying in faith on behalf of someone else, and praying particular Biblical promises.
5. God will answer my spiritual questions, or give me a challenge/experience with a certain aspect of spiritual growth, almost immediately after I have asked for it – if, that is, I am looking for the evidence of it.
And so on. These patterns won’t be the same for everyone, and if you engaged with this I imagine your patterns would be quite unique. Still, looking at everything from a holistic perspective has helped me to see the way that my life impacts my spiritual walk and vice versa: when I’m prone to weakness and selfishness, when I am striving to be my best self for God, and when God is working in my life so subtly that if I weren’t looking I might never notice.
I encourage you to try this, even if not with journaling. Just start paying attention to the following things over a series of weeks:
1. When/where/how are your spiritual highs and lows? What are you doing in those moments? What precedes and succeeds them?
2. When are you most prone to resentment, irritation, frustration, and anxiety? When are you most prone to worship?
3. When are you bored? When are you most fulfilled?
4. How do the daily, seemingly unrelated events of your life correspondence to what’s going on with you spiritually?
You might surprise yourself with what you realize; I know I have. As it turns out, picking out patterns in your spiritual life is a great way to figure out what needs work, what’s already working, and how God is shaping your life.
Samaritan's Song 
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
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I am shaking my head at how much I could relate to this piece. I am the same way. I find that when I am touch with God; praying, reading the bible, actively trying to do good are the days where I get all this support; messages; comments; likes on blog posts, it’s crazy. I find that when I am in a negative space and I am not connected with God, i get no responses and I feel alone and frustrated. I especially feel this way when I have too much time on my hands and I am anxious about what people think. It only proves further that God will work wonders for you as long are willing to the footwork. If you think you can do it on your own, then your life will be a frustrating mess. I know I talked to much but i really really enjoyed reading this. Thank you
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Yes, doing the work of faith means an awful lot – simply putting the effort in goes such a long way! And as we do that work we can always see the results in our lives if we are looking. I so enjoyed your comment, so thank you for leaving it!
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Very helpful post, I think I will think through these patterns. It really makes sense to identify our times of vulnerability and strength. Thank you.
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You’re so very welcome! And yes, it helps so much to do this!
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I see these things as well. I was so excited this morning during my quiet time how I noticed God answered my spiritual question that I asked yesterday! I was so shocked. One because when we go through things they seem longer but since I date and time my journal entries I know exactly when I asked. Then I was mad at myself because I had this question like a week but I didn’t ask God specifically until yesterday even though I did try to find the answer. Thank you for your post. It was spot on.
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Yes! That’s what I’ve found keeping a journal too – dating and noticing what happens when is hugely important and can be really spiritually encouraging. I’m so glad you were able to see that answer!
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Reblogged this on yarn and pencil and commented:
I found it so fulfilling to keep a faith journal. My friend Julia over at juliascreativeyear.wordpress.com has been encouraging me. So I’m going to start again. I’ve searched for faith journaling in the reader and found this thought provoking post…
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Thank you for sharing this with your readers. It is nice to hear from people who share our faith challenges and triumphs! God is so good!!
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I can relate to everything you say. I write in a journal regularly and it amazes me how much is revealed when I meditate on the day’s readings, or a particular verse in the bible. If I allow myself to become lax in anything, whether it be prayer, work, exercise, craft…I find my relationship with God suffers. I have to remain ever vigilant of my entire being or else things start to go south.
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Yes! Having our eyes open really does matter a great deal. Paying attention is sometimes half the battle. Thank you for reading and commenting!
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Reblogged this on Maggie McKenzie and commented:
This exercise would be well worth doing, for spiritual growth, to realize where attacks come, and to appreciate God’s answers to prayer.
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Great message
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Thank you!
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Number 2 on your list is a big one for me. Recently I was reading 1 Corinthians 15…. in verse 1 and 2 Paul speaks of the Gospel which was preached, and that saved… unless you believed in vain.
This bothered me for quite some time as I cross-referenced a study Bible with it and poked around some commentaries. What did Paul mean? Then in verse 58 God made it clear what his message was….
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, ALWAYS abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
You see some many people hear the Gospel and proclaim they know Jesus, yet do nothing to build the Kingdom. This is belief in vain. It serves no purpose beyond our own salvation, but the Gospel is not about just Me or You…. we have to reach the world!
SO abounding in the work of the Lord is where we will find the most fruits of the spirit, and who doesn’t want to live a life like that?
Just some food for thought brother. Keep up the good work.
Stay Strong & Stand Tall
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Absolutely. It’s vital to be aware of how we’re laboring for the Lord in our life, and of the results as we see them in ourselves day to day. Truly blessed! Thanks for reading!
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