How To Christian Journal - A Complete Guide
Writing comes easy to some people, to others it doesn’t. Maybe you’re someone who writes everyday, as part of your working life, or maybe you’re someone who is a little embarrassed by your writing, you don’t spell so good, your grammar is pretty weak. You can be sure of one thing though, whoever you are, whatever your level of education, if you are a true believer, God wants to hear from you. If you’ve never kept a Christian Journal, you really should give it a try, you may well find that it becomes a spiritual discipline, which sits right alongside prayer, Bible study and worship.
Where To Start With Christian Journaling
First off, let’s be clear about this: your journal is a sacred space; it’s a place where you can talk directly to God. No one is going to grade your journal, no one is going to look at it and make suggestions for improvement; it’s a tool for your spiritual growth and you need to use it in the way that works best for you. Now, you could use your phone and you could use your computer, but those machines are full of distractions; what works best are those very same tools that Saint Paul used to write his epistles, pen and paper.
We’ve all got busy lives and the noise of the world fills our ears, so you’ve got to make time for God and you’ve got to make space for God. Set yourself a routine; make a space in your day when you’re not exhausted or distracted. Don’t you think it’s important to make space for the Lord in your day? Are you so busy that you’ve got no time to talk to your creator? Once you do this thing, once you create this sacred space, you’ll feel how the rhythm of that still, silent communication soothes your soul.
How To Journal As A Christian
This isn’t just a diary, you’re not going to record the price of bread and who won the baseball; this is a record of your spiritual journey; this is where you can open your heart to God. Of course God knows your thoughts and feelings but you don’t and you won’t, not unless you start to process your experience and seek God’s wisdom. Sure, you are going to record the events of your daily life but reflect upon them in the revelatory light of Scripture. Your journal should be drenched in Scripture. Be honest, there’s no point in being otherwise, God knows everything. Tell it all, the good, the bad, the ugly, the shame, the guilt, the greed, the sin. Explore the highs of your spiritual journey and explore the lows. Meditate on the Scripture, put your doubts, your confusions, into words and the Lord will speak to you. Do not be seduced by language, do not get swept away by fine sounding words, you don’t need to impress God. Speak simply, from the heart and feel yourself grow closer to your creator.
You can never record everything, so don’t try to; but over time, as you continue to spill your thoughts onto the page, you will begin to see themes, patterns, insights and you will begin to see clearly and wounds will begin to heal. Write how you feel in the moment, but you can also use your journal to reflect upon the past and your hopes for the future. Always remember, you are a Christian, your journal is no place for self pity, no place for settling scores. Express your anger, express your frustration, but always take your instruction from the word of God, from the Scripture. Your journal is where you can learn to preach the Bible to yourself.
How To Start A Christian Prayer Journal
A Christian journal is a tool to strengthen your faith and if you have doubts, if your prayer is weak, then a prayer journal can help you strengthen your faith, invigorate your prayer and bring you closer to God. When you put words on it a page it forces you to think carefully about what you are saying. Write out your prayers. Rewrite them, cross things out, search after what you need to say. A journal is a record, it enables you to look back and reevaluate those thoughts, which otherwise you would have lost. Put dates against your prayers and record when they have been answered. Ask yourself ‘What are the ways in which God is speaking to me?’ Oftentimes God will speak to you directly through Scripture. Copy out those verses which God guided you to in answers to your prayer. Commit those verses to your memory that they may serve as another brick in the wall of your faith.
How To Start A Christian Gratitude Journal
What are worries? Worries are ingratitude. Worries are what happen when we focus on the imperfections in our lives. You need a new car, you need a new kitchen, you’re not sure how you’re going to pay those bills at the end of the month. Imagine if you just flipped that mindset, imagine if your focus was on all the things that are great in your life, all the things that are miraculous in your life. Imagine how liberating that would be. That joy is available to all Christians and starting a gratitude journal is a great way to access it. Once you start to acknowledge the gratitude that you owe, once you start to see anew all those things that you have taken for granted for so long, then your heart will fill with joy and love of God and those problems that you face will be dwarfed. Go on. Start today. You may need a new journal before too long.
