What's Hidden Inside Your Prayer Journal?

I believe something special happens when we write things down.  I first started writing in a journal when I was a little girl.  Back then we called them diaries, and I would often go up to the attic where it was peaceful and quiet, so that I could read my bible, talk to God, and write in my special diary.  I always cherished the diaries I received for Christmas or my birthday, because they always included a lock and a tiny little key so that no one would ever know my thoughts, feelings, or secrets (so I thought).

Over the years, journaling has been very theraputic for me.  Especially when I was a young wife and mother.  Whether I felt sad, lonely, angry or depressed writing my feelings down was an effective way to release my negative thoughts or emotions.  Journaling kept me from verbalizing things and releasing that negative energy into the atmosphere of my home.  But in more recent years journaling has become a vital part of my prayer life. 

Whenever I spend time in prayer, I take my bible and journal with me.  And I also like to keep one on the nightstand beside my bed so that it's available when God speaks to my heart or if I suddenly feel inspired.  I learned to do this the hard way because I often found myself scrambling for a piece of paper,  a napkin, or an envelope to write on.  Because creative thougths and inspired ideas seem to flow when we're still or in a rested mode.

Having a journal with you during your prayer time will raise your level of expentancy it signifies that you are expecting God to speak.  Although we know that prayer is a two way conversation, we still have a tendancy to do most of the talking.  And it seems that God doesn't stand a chance as we bombard Him with our many request, but if we quiet ourselves before Him more often, we will discover that He desires to speak to us and reveal mysteries and the hidden things that He wants us to know.

One day while looking through some of my old journals from years ago, I was surprised by what I discovered within.  It was as if I was reading an excerp from my book

Pray-ers Bear Fruit.  I realized that much of what I had written in my book was the very things I had written years before in my prayer journals.  I had not planned this at all, I didn't refer to my journals even once while I was working on my manuscript, but now I really knew the power of writing things down.  Wouldn't it be aweful if failure to write things down was the very reason why certain things never came to pass in our lives?   

Journals are a point of reference.  They will help you to gage your progress and show you how far you've come on your journey.  Because whenever God reveals something to you concerning your future there will always be a season when everything looks the opposite of what you've been promised.  But if you've written the promise or vision down in your journal, it will encourage you to keep pressing on  instead of giving up.  And you can remind God of what He has promised you.

Do you keep a prayer journal?  Hidden within those pages could be a life-changing book, the blueprint to your business or ministry, or God's promises for your family.  If you don't keep a prayer journal are you willing to start one now? 

Blessings,

Kathy