Journaling Prompts

Don Whitney, author of several NavPress books, is the John H. Powell Endowed Chair of Pastoral Ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Here are several short, practical posts from his always-timely book, Simplify Your Spiritual Life: Spiritual Disciplines for the Overwhelmed. In these selected excerpts, Whitney will help us consider ways to simplify our journaling, our prayer, our Christian life in general, our priorities, and our time in Scripture. In this post on journaling, Whitney gives us enough ideas to get through the month.

I suppose that if the term “writer’s block” applies to journal keeping, then that was my problem. I wanted to write about something that would edify my soul. On that day, however, no particular subject emerged from my mental fog.

The idea occurred to me to make a list of thirty-one subjects (one for each day of the month) that relate to my spiritual life. Journal prompts are thought-starters to use when you draw a blank about what to write in your spiritual journal. While certainly not unchangeable, here is the list I quickly composed:

Another method involves the use of specific questions. Depending upon the time of day that you write in your journal, you might replace the word today with yesterday. Try these ten questions.

1. What was the most important thing that happened today?

2. What did I learn today?

3. Where did I see God at work today?

4. What was the most significant thing someone said to me today?

5. When was I most aware of the Lord today?

6. What was the most helpful thing I read today?

7. What should I have done differently today?

8. How can I simplify my life tomorrow?

9. What could I do to glorify God the most tomorrow?

10. What difference can I make in someone’s life tomorrow?

The Bible says, “Let each one examine his own work” (Galatians 6:4). One simple and practical way to do this is to use questions like these on occasion as journal prompts.