Journaling Prayer - RECAP

Deut 1: 30 – 33, ‘the Israelites lose faith’.

Deut 8: 2- 6, ‘The ordeal in the wilderness’.

Like the sons of Israel, we do not always remember how God is and has been walking with
us. Journaling, in a sense, helps us ‘track’ God’s action, intervention and presence in our lives.

Pope Francis in The Joy of the Gospel tells us that ‘the believer is essentially “one who
remembers”. He says that Memory is a dimension of our faith which we might call
“deuteronomic”, not unlike the memory of Israel itself. (para 13).

Journal Prayer builds faith and strengthens us for the journey. It helps us look back and
remember how God has always been present even if at the time we do not realise it.

It provides us a concrete ‘rear-view mirror’ through which we look back and realise that God
was always there even if we didn’t realise it at the time. It helps us remember God’s
faithfulness to us.

Journaling prayer brings life and faith together. It is not a diary of what my day has been like
but rather what is going in my life that I want to bring/share with God. It becomes a place of
‘written’ dialogue with God. Some things you might find in a journal:

- a bible verse or passage that struck you that day. As you write it down, you could be
saying ‘God, what are you showing me through this’. Use Lectio and Imaginative
contemplation of the Gospel. What was in your prayer/reflection that you felt God
showing you…or maybe the call you had from God to do/say/change something.
- a prayer intention, for yourself or another. What is happening? What are you asking
God? Date your entry. When you look back in a few weeks or months, ask yourself
what happened in that situation? What did God do or how was your perspective
changed? This helps build faith!
- What God is saying to you. During a walk or in conversation with another or a time of
prayer. What was it in relation to?
- What you want to say to God. Maybe in the form of a letter? ‘Dear God’/’Dear Jesus’
and then write what’s on your heart.
- an image/picture or a scene that has struck you. Might have come through whilst
praying with Scripture, in silence, etc. It doesn’t matter if you can’t draw. It’s your
journal. Simply express yourself.

A prayer journal will reflect you. Tidy or messy, full of emotions, drawings, Scripture or
poetry. Song or letters, questions, doubt or grief, hope and joy. It is a life on paper!

Q/ How often should you journal? As often as you like. It may be daily or weekly but know
that you are not duty-bound to a particular timeline. Let it become a joy and a way of
praying rather than a burden.