I’d like to talk to you today about journaling. You can watch today’s podcast at the link above, including a song on the piano by my son, Bo Elder!
For me, journaling is simply writing down my conversations with God, thinking through with God what I believe He wants me to know and do. Journaling helps give me clarity in my prayers and untangle the thoughts that are sometimes knotted up in my head.
Often, I’ll write out my prayers to God, laying them before Him. Then I wait, I listen, and I write down what I think God might be saying. When I write things down, it helps me look at them more objectively. I don’t assume everything is from God, but writing helps me ask: Could this be God? Does this align with the Bible? What would my Christian friends or counselors say? Sometimes, I’ll run these thoughts by others for input.
I’ve journaled so much that eventually I created my own custom journals! I’ve made three journals filled with blank lines, plus 101 quotes on every other page for added inspiration while I’m writing. One journal has 101 Quotes on Prayer, another 101 Quotes on Love, and the third has 101 Quotes on Faith. A friend of mine and frequent partner in ministry, Greg Potzer, runs a ministry called This Day’s Thought and let me use some of his curated quotes on these topics.
These are beautiful books that I’ve used for myself and offer to others for their own use. They even make great gifts to encourage those you love in their prayer lives with God!
Here’s one of the quotes on prayer by J.C. Penney:
“I have found silence to be a powerful element in prayer. To learn to be alone with God, even in the presence of others, is something we Christians should try to do. There are innumerable times during the day when we can turn our thoughts, even for a moment, from business affairs and center them on God’s goodness, Christ’s love, and our fellow man’s needs.”
These quotes inspire me in unique ways. Some come from famous Christians, while others surprise me—like discovering J.C. Penney’s spiritual reflections. Each journal has space for your own writing alongside these quotes.
Here’s another quote on prayer, by John Ortberg:
“How hard is it for God to get your attention? Do you regularly practice turning aside in your day, taking a moment to listen to God? Because God, through the Holy Spirit, really is speaking. We know every place is filled with the presence of God. There is not an inch of space, not a moment of time, that God does not inhabit.”
One of the greatest blessings of journaling is the ability to look back and remember things I might have forgotten. My mom got me started when I was very young. She said, “Just write anything—like the price of eggs or what’s on TV.”
One of my first journal entries back in grade school says, “I made a wooden puppet today.” Decades later, I’ve produced an entire puppet show that premiered in Italy last Christmas and is now on Amazon Prime Video. It’s called St. Nicholas: An Italian Puppet Opera. That simple journal entry about making puppets as a child turned out to be a seed for something much larger! You can watch the trailer on Youtube at this link:
I’ve also had unexpected connections through journaling. Recently, a friend introduced me to someone who leads a ballet company in Chicago. He and I discovered that we both studied at the same college in Salzburg, Austria, but in different years, and had both seen the same ballet in Vienna featuring Rudolf Nureyev. When I checked my journal to see if that was really who I saw in Vienna, I found an entry confirming the performance. It’s amazing how these connections emerge, even from entries long-ago.
But most often, I use journaling to process my thoughts with God. This morning, I felt God encouraging me to share my own story more boldly. I wrote, “Help me get my stories out there more broadly.” Then I asked, “God, was that You speaking to me, or was that me speaking to You?” Haha! I laugh with Him sometimes as I feel it could be both of us speaking at the same time, but in different context! Journaling helps me get my thoughts more sync with God’s.
Before I wrap up, I’d like to invite you to listen to my son Bo Elder’s new piano album, For Your Glory. On my podcast today, he plays a song he wrote called Abba. His flowing, meditative style is perfect for quiet time with God, even while you’re journaling or praying! You can watch him on today’s podcast or listen to his album on any music streaming service such as Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, and more!
Here’s the link again to today’s podcast:
Will you pray with me?
Father, we love You and trust You with our lives. I pray for everyone watching right now, wherever they are, that You would encourage, strengthen, and lift them up. Help them hear Your voice, especially those who want to start journaling or have been journaling for years. For anyone who hasn’t yet trusted in Jesus, I pray they do so today, finding abundant life in You. And for those already walking with You, I pray their faith becomes vibrant and rich again. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
And don’t forget, you can find all three journals at InspiringBooks.com, and find the links to watch the Saint Nicholas puppet opera on Prime Video at ItalianPuppets.com.
Have a great week!
The Ranch 