This prayer exercise is a great tool to use to remember to see how God is working in our lives, answering prayer, or guiding us through situations. This is not like a diary; but how God has been communicating to us.
INTENTION: To keep a record of communication with God.
THE EXERCISE:
THE EXERCISE:
- Decide how you want to keep this journal. You may purchase a blank book or use loose-leaf paper held in a ringed notebook.
- Decide how often you will make notations in your journal. You may want to record insights from other prayer practices or write your prayers in the journal or both. Some people even keep notes from their dreams in their journal. It’s a book that belongs to you and God. Do with it what feels best.
- Begin by asking God to be present and alive in this journal-keeping experience.
- To explore spiritual growth based on events in your life, write about a significant event or happening in your daily life.
- How do you feel about that event?
- Where was God at work in the event?
- Where is God leading me now as a result of this event?
- How do my feelings change as I view the event in the light of God’s love?
- To notice how God is active in your life, review your journal at regular intervals.
- What patterns or common themes do you notice?
- How does God get your attention?
- How has God answered your prayers?
- Assess how your relationship with God is emerging.
- Make notations about any common themes or patterns.
- Close each journal session with a prayer of gratitude.
TIP: Even if you feel you are not a writer, give this exercise a try. This is a prayer exercise, not a writing exercise. No one but you has to see what you’ve written. Even if you share journal findings with a group, it matters little how you wrote what you discovered. Share it in your own words instead of reading it from the page.
~Taken from the book 50 Ways to Pray: Practices from Many Traditions and Times by Teresa A. Blythe
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