Using a journal or notebook is essential to having a consistent quality in your devotional life. The fact is, devotions are your personal time with God, and ought to be taken seriously. A great way to get serious during your time with God is to record all that goes on between the two of you. I couldn’t imagine myself not using a journal for my own devotions and I encourage you to give it a try if you haven’t already!
Here are six reasons why you should consider picking up and using a journal for your devotions today!
1. Take notes/ Record observations
When you’re reading the Word of God, the point is to get the Word stuck in you. If you’re simply reading to read, what are the chances of you really focusing on a passage and getting it to stick? Slim to none. The point isn’t to read, it’s to be transformed!
Part of that process is breaking down and applying Scripture to your own life and a great way to do that is by taking notes. It doesn’t need to be too extensive, but simply writing down and mulling over what sticks out to you. Doing this will help it stick in your mind and heart and then transform you by the working of the Spirit.
Guess what is a great tool for taking notes? You got it— a journal. Each time you sit down for devotions, record the date on a new page and really get into the Word of God!
2. Prayer Journal
“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
-Psalm 5:3
What better way is there to track your prayers and the amazing ways God answers them than with a journal? Pray, record, wait expectantly and watch how God provides.
A journal is a great way to keep your prayers in order. You can keep your prayers with the daily entries as you pray them, or you can set a page aside in the front or back of your journal dedicated to just a prayer list. If you set a date on the original entry, you’ll be able to track and celebrate God’s goodness in your life. In no time you’ll be witnessing with your own eyes all the ways God cares for you.
3. Heart Monitor
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
-Proverbs 4:23
Keeping a dedicated devotional journal is actually a great way to monitor your heart health; not your physical heart, but your emotional and spiritual heart.
You can use your journal to record how you’re feeling day by day. Maybe one day you’re in the clouds and celebrating all of God’s blessings, then the next day you’re in the pits; write this down in your journal! If you’re consistently not feeling up to par, it will bring to your attention that something is not clicking in your life . Over time you can look back and evaluate your up’s and down’s and maybe see patterns of what causes those high’s and low’s.
The point is, your heart is where everything you do comes from, and it’s your job to maintain it. Start doing so with a journal while bringing it to God in the process.
4. Reading Tracker
Along with point number one, a journal is a great tool for keeping track of where you’ve been in your Bible. With each new day, record what you’ve read. Keep it organized and you’ll be able to more effectively read and study the Word of God.
5. Memorization Tool
“and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,”
-Ephesians 6:17
Did you know that the Christian life is a battleground? When you go throughout your day, there are spiritual forces barraging you all around. Your weapon is the Word of God, it is the only thing you have that will defeat the temptations that surround you. But, you don’t have your Bible in front of you everywhere you go, so what are you to do? Memorize it. Memorizing can be difficult, but a journal can be a huge help. I like to record the verses I memorize, then consistently read them over and over, slowly taking away the written verse until I can recite it from memory alone. Over time, you’ll also have documentation of all that you’ve memorized to feel good about and celebrate God with.
6. Reminder
“Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered,”
-Psalms 105:5
Has God ever done anything in your life worthy of remembering? I’m sure He has! The problem is, our memories fade with time. So to continue witnessing and celebrating God’s faithfulness throughout your time on Earth, consider writing down all the milestones and events God brings you through. On a rainy day in the future, having a written documentation of God’s faithfulness can be just what you need to remember that He’ll bring you over the next mountain too.
Besides celebrating the great high’s of following Jesus, a reminder for the daily things is always a good idea too. Have you ever been reading, praying or even just going throughout your day and you had a great revelation that put you in awe? Do you remember what that revelation was? Write it down, and you won’t forget it. It might not even be a revelation though that you need to be reminded of. It could simply be a note to yourself to pray about something and you want to remind your future self to do so. Maybe to read a specific passage again, whatever it could be, a journal would be helpful. Write down whatever your note is and you won’t forget it!
