Christian Growth Through Journaling

Drawing Close to God through Journaling

Christian growth is important in the life of a believer. If you don't grow in the Lord, you become stagnant and ineffective as a Christian. It's always good to practice spiritual habits to draw closer to God.

Have you ever found yourself questioning your faith? It's a natural part of life. But have you ever felt alone in the struggle? Read this article to learn how you can use journaling to work through difficult questions and grow closer to the Lord.

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Come Close to God

The Bible says in James 4:8-10 NKJV “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

God tells us what we need to do, and He tells us what will happen if we do. God wants us to draw closer to Him. He doesn't want us to keep Him at a distance. He longs for us to know Him better and draw close to Him.

How to Start Your Personal Journal

First and foremost, you need to find a good journal and pen. You can either use a notebook or an online journaling tool like Penzu. Once you have your journal, it's time to start writing!

There are no rules when it comes to journaling, so feel free to write about whatever you want. However, some people find it helpful to structure their entries around specific topics. For example, you could write about your faith journey, things you're grateful for, things you're struggling with, prayer requests, praise reports and so much more.

If you're not sure what to write about, try prompts like these:

• -What was the best part of my day?
• -What am I most thankful for?
• -What was the hardest part of my day?
• -What am I struggling with right now?
• -What did I learn today?
• -How can I grow in my faith today?

No matter what you choose to write about, journaling is a great way to grow in your faith and gain new insights into your personal journey. So get started today!

Drawing Close to God

Journaling for Christian Growth starts with these steps. At each step write in your journal your thoughts, feelings, and questions that you have. As you grow and study the Bible you will be able to answer these questions. Also if you have a trusted friend or pastor that can help you answer your questions ask them!

1. Receive Jesus-The Bible tells us in Romans 3:23 NLT(New Living Translation) “For everyone has sinned, we all fall short of God's glorious standard.” To receive Jesus as your Savior you must repent of your sin and ask him to forgive you. Once you've repented and asked for forgiveness you are saved! You have received Jesus as your Savior! Now you're ready to grow as a Christian.
2. Get in the Word-In order to experience Christian Growth you must learn about God. The only way to learn about Him is to read His word. Read the Bible! If you don't know where to start you can either start at the beginning or start in the gospel of John. I once had a friend who received Jesus as her Savior and she said she didn't know where to start so she read the words in red and prayed for power! You don't need to be a Biblical scholar to understand God's word, you just have to spend time reading and learning about Him. The Reverand Billy Graham said this about Bible reading, “The very practice of reading [the Bible] will have a purifying effect upon your mind and heart. Let nothing take the place of this daily exercise.” The Bible says in Joshua 1:8  “Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.”
3. Worship-Worship gets us ready for heaven. In heaven, we will worship the Lord all the time. Learning to worship here is another way to grow as a Christian. Isaiah 25:1 NLT says “O Lord, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.”
4. Prayer-Talking with God is another key way to grow as a Christian. In our friendships on earth if we don't talk with our friends the relationship dies. It's the same with God. If we don't talk with him and listen to what he has to say, our relationship will die. Prayer doesn't have to be fancy or formal. Sometimes all I can say is “God help me!” That is okay! He hears those pleas and responds. Jerimiah 29:12-14 NLT says “In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord.” He loves to talk to His children!
5. Trust-Once you've accepted Jesus as your Savior you must trust Him to lead you and guide your way. God knows our human emotions are fickle and can be untrustworthy. Proverbs 3:5 NLT says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.”
6. Have Faith-Faith goes right along with trust. If you are trusting God, then you must believe He will direct you. It's not always easy to have faith, but even in times when it seems your faith is shattered, God is there with you and He will continue to guide you and help you grow in Him. Hebrews 11 is known as the Hall of Faith because it tells of all the heroes of the Old Testament and how their faith brought them through. Hebrews 11:1 NLT “Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.”
7. Get involved-To grow as a Christian you must be involved with other Christians. Now I will say as someone with social anxiety it's not always easy to be involved, but it is important. So important that God included it in the Bible. Hebrews 10:25 NLT “And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

The Benefits of Christian Growth Through Personal Journaling

There are many benefits to Christian growth through personal journaling. Writing thoughts and feelings down is important to help you grow. Here are 4 benefits of journaling for Christian growth:

1. Journaling allows you to track your spiritual growth and progress over time. It can be easy to lose sight of how far you've come in your walk with Christ, but looking back through your journal can help you see just how far you've come.
2. Another benefit of Christian growth through personal journaling is that it can help you identify areas in which you need to grow. As you journal, you may notice patterns of thought or behavior that are not glorifying God. By bringing these things to light, you can begin to work on changing them.
3. Personal journaling can also be a great tool for prayer. By writing out your prayers, you can better focus on what you're asking God for and really think about what you're thankful for. Additionally, journaling can help you remember answered prayers and see how God has been working in your life.
4. Journaling is great for scripture writing too. One of the best ways to memorize scripture is to write it down.

Overall, Christian growth through personal journaling is a highly beneficial practice that all Christians should consider incorporating into their lives.

Takeaways

Christian growth through personal journaling is an excellent way to reflect on your spiritual journey and document your thoughts and feelings along the way. By writing regularly, you can track your progress and identify areas where you need to continue to grow. Additionally, journaling can be a form of prayer and can help you to communicate with God more effectively. Ultimately, regular journaling will help you to deepen your relationship with Christ and you will grow in your faith.