Devotional Journaling, as a spiritual practice, is simply noting down your experiences and reflections from your daily life in and about God and you, which you share with God.
It can contain notes as simply as your experience of the bird’s song one morning, to a complex systematic study and reflection project on a biblical passage. It about you and God in relationship, through all your encounters with and through God with people, places, and all things.
EXAMPLES OF WHAT GOES INTO A SPIRITUAL JOURNAL
· Reflections about what you have sensed around you or observed during your everyday or places you have been (travels, retreats)
o Your experiences, and insights you had along the way
· Reflections on what others have said or written that inspired you.
o What was it about that moved you?
· Your experiences when meditating on your daily readings of biblical passages or other spiritual writings.
o What happened, what insights you had, and your feelings – positive or negative?
· Prayers you've prayed
o Formal (prayers by others)
o Your personal prayers (requests, thanksgiving)
o Your cries out to God
· Letter writing to; talking to and with; or just being with God.
o What you have experienced when sharing with God {when writing, meditating, during one of your mental chats, or just being with God during the day}?
o What insights did you come away with about you and God, what promptings did you sense were from God?
· Write about the ways you've surprised yourself, such as what you've discovered while looking back in your journal.
· Your or other’s photos, drawings, doodles
GUIDELINES
The most important is to be honest with yourself and God, by being open to the gentleness of the Holy Spirit who will guide and enlighten you towards the truth.
Have a sturdy notebook, keep it handy, write in it at the same time each day, and when you have been prompted. Also, note the date for each entry.
Look to connect it with the liturgical year or seasons of the year or the spiritual program you are taking.
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