– One spiritual activity that really helps me as a Christian is journaling. There are different types of journaling such as prayer journaling, Bible study journaling, dream journaling, personal growth journaling to mention a few. The journaling I’m talking about today is reflective journaling. This type of journaling has so many benefits when it comes to deepening my relationship with God and in this video I talk you through some of the benefits and I show exactly how I do reflective journaling.

Hi I’m Bekah welcome to my channel. On this channel I share practical tips on how to grow in your relationship with God so if you are interested in this then please subscribe!

So journaling is reflectively writing in a diary or a notebook. And reflective journaling is as the name suggests, writing reflectively about your personal experiences, your emotions, your thoughts and your actions.

So for example at the end of each day just before you go to bed, you can answer these 3 questions:
1. Where did I see God in my day?
2. Where did I miss God in my day?
3. What new thing did I learn about myself today?
4. What am I grateful for?
5. What am I anxious or concerned about

So for example today I saw God in the kindness of the lady at the supernamarket. Or I saw God when I was about to lash out at someone and I heard the Holy Spirit telling me to keep quiet.

I missed God today when I was presented with an opportunity to be kind to a stranger and I didn’t take it. I missed God when He told me to text this person and check up on them but I got too busy and I forgot to do it.

I learnt today that I’m a bit of a people pleaser. I didn’t want to take on that extra task but I didn’t want to offend my colleague.

So doing this regularly helps you to be a better Christian and a better person in general.

It helps you grow and mature spiritually. You become more self aware and introspective so you are more aware of your strengths and weaknesses and where you need help. You can compare this with your beliefs, your attitude and how you respond to challenges in general.

It helps you to have a deeper connection with God. I normally do my journaling in a form of a letter to God. So dear Abba (which means father) I saw you in my day today when….. I missed you in my day today when …… Today I have learnt that I am …… Please help me to work on this.

Journaling gives you clarity of thoughts: Writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you to clarify and organise your thoughts. It also helps you to discern God’s guidance.

It is great for tracking your progress as a Christian. When you pick an old journal, you will be able to track your growth. See the kind of things you were concerned about a few years ago and how different or similar your concerns are now. This also helps you to remain grateful when you see how far God has brought you. It’s like a document of God’s faithfulness.

Finally, journaling can actually be a therapeutic outlet for dealing with stress, anxiety, and emotional struggles. You can basically use your journals to cast your cares upon the Lord, find peace in His presence, and seek comfort in times of distress.