January is a time of fresh starts, clear intentions, and resolutions. It is when I reflect on the past year and make new goals for the next. Today, I am focusing on my spiritual desire to know God more intimately. A personal relationship with God develops by reading the Bible, praying, and fellowshipping with other believers. Bible reading allows God to talk to us. Prayer enables us to speak with God. And fellowship gives us the opportunity to encourage each other. Keeping a journal is a perfect way to track and reinforce what you are learning along the way.
Bible Reading
To get started, I would like to invite you to join me in a daily Bible reading plan. It doesn’t matter which one you choose. There are chronological, topical, and read your Bible in one-year plans. I am currently in the middle of a “thematic” bible reading plan. Whichever you decide on, remember that the important part is not that you finish the plan “on time”, but that you take the time to be in God’s word every day.
Prayer
Before I begin my Bible reading, I ask the Holy Spirit to guide me and help me understand what I am about to read. Grabbing my journal and a pen, I jump in, jotting down ideas and prayer requests as I go along.
I have found that writing about something helps me understand it better. Sometimes it is as simple as copying down a verse that spoke to me. Other times, I need extra time to process an idea. Journaling helps me to mull it over. Musing encourages me to think, ponder, and understand what God is trying to say.
Journaling also assists with tracking prayer requests. As I pray, I journal or list the people that I am praying for. When I track the answers in my journal, my faith increases.
Journaling Journey
Below you will find a list of Monday – Friday prompts to help facilitate your journaling journey. I have left them vague on purpose because I want you to be able to use them with any Bible reading plan, in any place, no matter what circumstances you find yourself in. The idea is to let the Holy Spirit guide you as you jot down scriptures that speak to you, prayers, ideas, and more.
Fellowship
Let’s grow in faith together. I am hopeful that you will find these simple prompts useful. Click below for your own copy. I plan on publishing a new theme each month of the year. Please let me know what you think of the prompts and if you have any suggestions. Use the comment section below.
