Not too long ago I was cleaning out my closet in preparation for a neighborhood sale. In my quest to find items to sell, I stumbled upon a pile of old prayer journals, and was surprised to find that some of them dated up to 20 years back!

I spent the rest of the day sitting on the floor, thumbing through the journals, and it didn't take long before I started to have tears running down my face. My heart began to swell with thanksgiving as I looked back at the goodness of God, and I recounted all that He had done in my life.

One of my favorite things about journaling is the fact that you get to look back and see the faithfulness of God. It's one thing to hear about how He has been faithful to someone else, but it deeply impacts your heart to realize God cares so deeply about you personally. Seeing how He knits the details of our lives together as we look back creates such a foundation of trust and thankfulness!

There are various ways to journal, whether it be by writing down your daily thoughts, scriptures you are studying, or recording what God is speaking to you that day. There really is no right or wrong way to do it, but I find that being open to writing down whatever is on your heart makes it more meaningful.

Sometimes I follow the SOAP method of journalling, (which can be great for getting started), and sometimes I simply write freely. I try to journal daily, but again, I try not to make it a duty. If I feel that I am to spend more time praying or studying that day, I let God lead.

In addition to have something to look back on, I have also found that journaling has been an incredible way to dive deeper into study. Sometimes as I'm journaling scriptures, things will stand out that I didn't notice before, and writing it down helps me keep it in my heart throughout the day. I also find journaling to be reflective, where I am able to see what is really going on in my heart that I didn't see before. In addition to inspiring thankfulness, journaling can also be incredibly refining and healing, which is why I have kept it up all these years!

Whether it be through journaling or another method of reflection; it can be incredibly powerful to recount the good things that God has done, and spend time meditating on His word. I believe journaling inspires a heart of thanksgiving in addition to bringing growth, refinement, and healing! There is nothing quite as powerful as when we look back and know the same God that cared for us all along will continue to be faithful to the end!

xo Katie