I have kept a spiritual journal alongside my daily journal for years and it is a blessing and an encouragement to me to look back over its pages from time to time and see all the things God has been teaching me as I have studied the Bible and kept track of book notes I have read.
Everyone needs to carefully nurture their own spiritual life. I personally believe that people are 3 part beings. Spirit - which connects to your Creator, Soul - which includes your mind, will and emotions, and Body - your physical being. If you ignore any of these three, over the long haul, you will not have a balanced abundant life.
A spiritual journal can include many things. Here are some types of things I record in my Spiritual Journal. (Some of these can overlap into the Soul area of mind will and emotions)
I often write about:
- notes I take while I am doing my Bible study each day. I find sometimes that verses will "jump off the page" and I write those out. I will take a few minutes to write down what that verse made me think about in my life, a lesson I learn from it, or I use the verse to write out a prayer asking for that verse to become real in my life.
- notes I take while I am reading good books. There may be some excellent quotes, some interesting information about the history of the times, a word study that opens up the meaning of a passage of Scripture, or just something that reminds me of a time in my life when I faced a similar situation as the author. I will copy these into my spiritual journal and write my thoughts about what I read. These are lessons for life that I want to capture and remember.
- Bible verses I want to memorize or study more.
- Song lyrics that speak to me right now. There are many songs that have really meant a lot to me - they brought encouragement, or reminders of some truth that just fit my situation at a certain time of my life. I will write out the words and meditate on them - often writing out why they were special to me.
- Ideas that come into my mind as I read - something I should do for someone. People to pray for. Ideas for a new aspect of my business or something I can do with my grandchildren. I believe God directs us as we quiet our hearts and absorb His words.
- Words God speaks to me. When I read God's Words and listen for His voice, He may speak to my heart. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice..." I write down what I think God is saying and pray about it more, maybe I will share it with a friend or my husband to ask for their input. Sometimes the words God speaks to my heart are simply encouragement, or words that let me know how much He loves me. I treasure these words and if I write them in the moment, I can re-read them and remember how it made me feel as I heard and wrote down those things.
- Quotes that make me think.
- I write about troublesome emotions, joyful things that have happened and difficult situations I have questions about.
- I write out prayers. Sometimes I copy prayers others have prayed. And I write out my prayers - it helps me to focus and keeps me from getting sidetracked. I love to go back and re-read the prayers I have prayed. Having a written record helps me see when my prayers have been answered.
These are just some of the ideas of things you could include in your spiritual journal. It will help you to see how you have grown, it will help you to overcome difficulties in your life and it will definitely see how God has spoken to you, taught and directed you, encouraged you or brought you comfort in hard times.
Do you keep a spiritual journal? What do you include in yours? Can you share a story of how it has been a benefit to you? Leave a comment below :-)
Keep writing!
Deb E
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