Preparation: Deuteronomy 4:9

God, Have My Thoughts

Can a person freeze time? Is it possible to capture a moment so that at some subsequent point, you can take it out and re-live it? The answer is yes, through your mind’s eye. God, in His creative genius, gave us the mental capacity to record life’s lessons and emotions reflecting on them even years later. But to reflect, you must have your memory jogged. Something has to stir the sub-conscious recesses of your mind so you are brought into the presence of the past. That quest is why painters put brush to canvas, why historians compose volumes, why moms cut and paste pictures into scrapbooks, and why Dads record kid’s ball games. We realize the value and pleasure of preserving the past so we can reminisce about it in the future.
This same idea plays an important role in our relationship with God: Many of us amble along without giving much thought to God’s activity in our lives. We forget to remember those moments when God touches our heart, answers our prayer, enlightens our mind, directs our path, reveals His will, heals our loved one, or lifts the burden from our heavy heart. God constantly is working and moving all around us, yet we fail to note it in the present in order to ponder it in the future.
How can we change that? How can we e fficiently keep record of our daily journey with God? Cameras and canvases are of little use, since most “God-moments” are spiritual and emotional. For many Christians, the solution is found in journaling. With nothing more than pen and paper, you can preserve the most intimate details of your spiritual saga saving it for reflection later.
Journaling is the deliberate process by which we take stock of God’s intervention in our lives, every day, permanently recording thoughts for reference and posterity (future children). Before you turn up your nose at the thought of keeping a “Spiritual Diary,” consider that journaling can be tailored to fit your needs and personality. Here are five approaches, five ways to create snapshots of your spiritual walk with God:
1-PRAYER JOURNAL
Over the course of a day, most Christians breath numerous prayers to God. Some are spoken during formal, quiet times. Others whispered in line at the grocery store, looking into the bathroom mirror, or in the car. Unfortunately, we often forget to notice how God answers. A Prayer Journal lists the people and situations you pray for each day. As you regularly update, make notes when God moves and give Him praise. Later, when things seem bleak, it is an encouragement to look back and remember God’s faithful activity in your life. See James 5:13-17.
2-UNDERSTANDING SCRIPTURE
Journals can also help make sense of diffcult passages of Scripture. As you read God’s Word during your daily quiet time, underline verses or passages that speak to you. Then, take out a notebook and record your thoughts on each passage. If you struggle to understand something, write about it and ask God to make it clear. Not only does writing help us put thoughts in order, it also provides a wonderful commentary on how God speaks to our life situations through the Bible. See Daniel 9:1-3.
3-DAILY HISTORY
While some people are understandably hesitant to keep a journal in “diary style,” others find this is a wonderful way to mark life’s most important events. Keeping a daily journal allows you to track various emotions and anxieties you experience in your walk with God and how you work through them. It also provides a history that lives on after you—a legacy you and your children will enjoy for years. See Esther 6:1-3.
4-PRAISES
Over Keeping a Praise Journal can help you see God’s glory in life’s everyday things: the beauty of a sunrise, the sweet sound of a baby’s laugh, even the aroma of freshly baked cookies. “All good things come from the Lord,” wrote Paul. A Praise Journal helps you remember that. See Psalm 33.
5-QUOTES, NOTES & OBSERVATIONS
How often have you been in Church, a class, even a conversation and heard something profound you wish you could remember. In the book, An Introduction to Christian Writing, Ethel Herr suggests writers carry a small notebook and record powerful quotes and meaningful observations throughout the day. Of course, Herr wrote this before the days of smartphones. Today, it is simple to grab your phone and record something interesting or profound. This is not only good advice for writers, but for all. By holding on to treasures of wisdom or poignant observations in the day-to-day, you grow in wisdom and understanding. You also learn to be more observant of the world around you. See Proverbs 3:13-18.

However used, a journal can be a powerful tools. By keeping a regular record of thoughts, prayers, events, and observations, journals essentially freeze time. They mark our most important moments, celebrate our greatest victories, teach us through our toughest (To continue reading, go to my comment below.)