Journaling as a Spiritual Discipline
Summer Sampler 2025: The Spiritual Disciplines That Form Us
What are spiritual disciplines? And why are they relevant to our lives? Spiritual disciplines are purposeful practices that cultivate a deeper, richer, and more intentional relationship with God and others. They are not simply rituals, but tools for growth, transformation, and living a more Christ-like life. Each week in our Summer Sampler we will be exploring one of these disciplines. Our hope is that you’ll discover one or more that are a fit for you and that you can incorporate into your walk with Jesus.
By Kim Findlay
I didn’t grow up in a church that taught about spiritual disciplines. Yes, we knew to read the Bible, pray, attend church, and serve, but they felt more like a holy task list than an opportunity to grow in my faith. I often felt a disconnect between what I learned on Sunday morning and what I experienced the other six days of the week. How did God meet me in high school, or when I felt lonely?
A counselor I met suggested journaling as a tool to process my world. Initially, I learned the value of writing as a mental health practice, not a spiritual one. But as I grew and started seeing the healing and growth, I started talking with God within those pages. Unbeknownst to me, I was practicing the spiritual discipline of journaling.
In Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, author Donald S. Whitney explains that “your journal is a place to document the works and ways of God in your life.” Never did I rely so heavily on this as in 2005, when my world turned upside down after my youngest daughter died from injuries sustained in a fire that destroyed our home.
Much like the psalmist, I cried out in the pages — “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13:1) “I am weary from weeping.” (Psalm 119:28) I searched for an anchor to cling to, as I felt lost in the sea of grief. I grazed on His Word, as much as my mind could absorb, and poured it all out on the pages stained with ink and tears.
Those pages became a conversation between my Father and me. Lament and sorrow filled those pages. What is God’s goodness like when death is all I see? But as I sat in the stillness with pen in hand, I heard whispers of love and compassion in response. And I recorded them.
“As I sat in the stillness with pen in hand, I heard whispers of love and compassion in response. And I recorded them.”
I am with you, even through the fire (Isaiah 43:2).
I am good, even here in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13).
I look back and see, by my hand, all the ways that God walked beside me through the 20 years since my daughter died. I’ve filled 53 books and hundreds of files with pleadings and praises. I witnessed miracles and answered prayers, growth, and setbacks, but through it all, I witnessed the mighty hand of God.
Here are four things I learned through decades of journaling:
Journaling helps me reflect on God’s faithfulness in the past to build trust for the present. Reflecting is about building perseverance based on what God has done so we can keep pressing forward (James 1:2-4).
Journaling also provides space to remember who we are and how we got that way. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t us. It’s all God — and how He is transforming us into the likeness of His Son, our loving Good Shepherd who not only cares about His flock, but cares about us individually.
Journaling allows us space to examine our lives. When we look at our lives, we consider what God is doing and how we need to respond.
Journaling invites total surrender. We begin to see the vastness of His love and sovereignty woven through our lives, and we learn to rest in it.
Growth takes work, which is why developing the spiritual practice of journaling helps. Sometimes, growth happens in the ebb and flow of everyday life, and it’s easy to miss it. Sometimes, it happens when turbulent waters arise, when the storms blow in, and we find ourselves simultaneously at a loss and grasping for truth and hope beyond what we see. Journaling captures it all.
How, then, do you start?
* Grab a book, paper and pen, or a document on your computer.
* Create time away from distractions.
* Begin with prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to lead you.
* Read a passage of Scripture. Write down a verse or two that sticks out to you.
* Write.
It’s that simple. Don’t worry if you make a mistake or the sentences aren’t grammatically correct. The goal is to jot down your thoughts, emotions, insights, prayers, or even what’s happening in your life. Close your entry with thanksgiving for God is good, and His love endures forever and ever. Amen.
For more about Spiritual Disciplines, check out the Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele Calhoun.
Kim Findlay is a seasoned ministry leader, writer, and teacher with a heart for inspiring hope and encouraging faith in individuals and communities as they live out their faith. Known for strategic thinking, vision, and encouragement, Kim uniquely engages people of every age, fostering spiritual growth and practical application of biblical truths. Her writing appears on Women in Leadership, In Touch Ministries, the Redbud Hyphen, her blog, Facets of Faith, and The Message Women’s Devotional Bible with NavPress.