How to Keep a Spiritual Journal is easier than you think. There's no secret formula, just a willingness to begin! But don't worry, I've made it easy for ya!
Here is your guide on how to keep a spiritual journal, what it is, how to keep one, and 9 tips on helping you get the most out of your journal.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
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What is A Spiritual Journal?
A spiritual journal is much like a regular journal, but instead of talking about your day and what you did, you focus on God and all that He has done in your life. It is a place to record your walk with God. Since that journey looks different for everyone, the journal will be personal to you, and not something everyone else has.
For me, a Spiritual Journal is all-inclusive. It includes Prayer Journal, Scripture Writing, Daily Journaling, and more. My favorite way to create a spiritual journal is to use a Traveler's notebook and use separate inserts for each topic. Men, check out this Traveler's Notebook, a little less girly for you, and inserts for this one are here!
Why Should I keep a Spiritual Journal?
3 Reasons to Keep A Spiritual Journal
There are many reasons to keep a spiritual journal. These are the three I want to highlight for this post:
- It will help you see God’s hand more clearly in your life. If you keep a spiritual journal you will be able to see and remember all the things God does in your life. It will also help you see His plan more clearly as you write those things down.
- A Spiritual Journal will help you be thankful for all your blessings. Gratitude is a great way to grow your spiritual life. It is important and very simple to thank God for his blessings.
- Something to look back on for strength during hard times. We all have hard times. We all have times that we don't think God is listening, but keeping a spiritual journal will allow you to look back and see that God is listening and He is with you, no matter what you are going through.
What Should Be In A Spiritual Journal?
You can put anything and everything in your spiritual journal; write anything you want to write about. When people write down their spiritual journey sometimes they include their testimony. Having your testimony written in your spiritual journal is a good way to never lose that memory.
Others write down spiritual experiences they went through. They will write down their struggles and how God helped them through those experiences. I know that I need reminding of God's goodness when I'm going through struggles. I don't forget He is good, but writing things down is a tangible way to remember His goodness when our minds are otherwise occupied.
You can also write down a Bible verse that made you feel God’s love or a quote from someone that stood out to you. Scripture journaling is a great way to memorize scriptures and have ones that help us at our fingertips.
9 Tips for Writing in Your Spiritual Journal
Here are a few tips for writing in your Spiritual Journal. These tips will help you stay motivated and on task with your journal. These tips would be good to write in your journal and if you start to struggle with the motivation to write, they will be easily available to remind you why you started a spiritual journal.
1. Write the Date
Every time you make an entry, do not forget that date. That is one of the most common regrets when people write in journals because when they reread it, they cannot remember when that experience happened, write the date!
2. Write Conversion Stories of Others
This journal doesn’t always have to only be about yourself. If someone in your Bible study shared an experience that happened to them that touched your heart, write it down! You might need to remember their story when you go through a challenge similar to theirs.
3. Include Quotes and Scriptures
Write down your favorite quotes from the speakers at church and others who share their testimonies with you. This journal is to help strengthen you, so it does not have to be all about you!
Keep your journal with you as you study the scriptures and write down verses that stand out to you. You can also write your interpretation of scripture as you are reading it. It is always interesting to see how your understanding evolves the more you learn!
4. Write Your Testimony
Be sure to write down what you know to believe. Your testimony is important, and the more you write it, read it or say it, the easier it will be to tell others, and the stronger your faith will become.
Watch how your testimony grows and becomes stronger as the years go by! You don’t always recognize it, but you can see the transformation when you write it down.
5. Write Out Your Prayers
People love keeping prayer journals. Write down a prayer you are truly passionate about. Record the feelings you had while you prayed and if anything came to your mind. Did you receive an answer to that prayer? Write it all down!
6. Be Grateful
If you don’t have anything to write down one day, make a list of everything that happened today that you were grateful for. This is also a good practice when you have a bad day. We usually think nothing good happened, but when you start writing down those things you were thankful for, you will see how there are no true bad days, only hard experiences during the day.
7. You Don’t Have to Write Daily
Don’t feel any pressure to write every single day. Write when you feel prompted or when you went through something. Even if you write once a month, that is still better than nothing.
8. Describe Your Challenges
Spiritual experiences are not all about the wonderful blessings that you received. Hard times and struggles come. Write them down. Not to consume yourself with them, but to be able to write the good that comes from them when it does. And it always does, maybe not in our time, but in His time.
If you are struggling, write that down! Share all the details of your trial. This will release those emotions you are feeling and help you when you are looking back on that time. When a major trial hits and you feel like giving up, if you go back and see all the details of how you felt the same way from the last challenge, it will help push you forward.
9. Review Often
Now that you’ve written in your journal don’t forget one important detail: review it often! Journaling is not all about just writing things down; it is also about learning from what you have gone through. Review your entries when you're struggling, they are meant to help you.
A Spiritual Journal is A Powerful Tool
A spiritual journal is a powerful tool that can help you strengthen your faith and draw closer to God. The devil doesn't want us to grow in our faith. He wants us to struggle, and forget the good things our Father has given us. A Spiritual Journal is a powerful tool, especially when fighting spiritual warfare.
It's time to get started! Find a cute journal and start writing down your spiritual experiences today! You will feel amazing when you do.