Journaling with God – How One Small Shift Changed Everything

Fifteen years ago, something shifted.
I changed the way I was journaling with God.

To begin, it was subtle. Just a new way of journaling with God – my thoughts, my prayers, the moments I didn’t want to forget. Eventually, I noticed something deeper taking shape – a steady sense that He was near…a gentle tuning in…one quiet morning at a time.

I wasn’t trying to overhaul anything. I was just showing up, trying to be consistent. Even so, looking back, I can see that God was doing far more than helping me write. He was drawing me closer to know Him.

When Journaling Became Just Routine

I’ve always processed life through writing – from childhood diaries to high school English. But in adulthood, something started to feel off. My journaling had settled into a formula – a structured prayer format with praise, confession, requests, and thanksgiving. And while that kind of structure can be helpful, especially in certain seasons, I found myself falling into a rut. My prayers became polished but impersonal. It started feeling like I was reporting about God, rather than connecting with Him.

A Fresh Start – and a Brave Prayer

Suddenly, that realization hit me hard in 2010. I remember reading through some old entries – pages filled with words that felt more routine than real – and deciding to let them go. I shredded them. Did I just hear you gasp? But hang on…it was not out of guilt, but as an act of faith. A fresh start. And I whispered a prayer as the pages disappeared: God, I want to know You for real. Speak to me in a way I can recognize.

That prayer changed everything. From that point on, journaling with God became less about documenting and more about connecting – heart to heart, moment by moment.

Noticing God in the Patterns

As a result, my journaling became more like a conversation. Unfiltered. Honest. Personal. And in 2013, I felt prompted to begin organizing what I was writing. Not for the sake of neatness, but so I could better see what God was showing me. I began noticing themes – recurring Scriptures, repeated words and phrases, moments that seemed to build on each other. Instead of letting them get lost in the pages, I started tracking them. Recording the patterns. Making note of the messages I sensed God revealing over time. That simple act helped me connect the dots and see how He’d been guiding me all along.

Psalm 16 is one of David’s quiet declarations of trust. A reminder that God doesn’t just offer help – He offers Himself. His presence and joy. His guidance that unfolds day by day.

Now, when I look back, I can see how He was in all of it – the small steps, the seemingly random moments, the quiet pull to keep writing. What felt ordinary at the time was actually part of something intentional. Not in a lofty, unreachable way – but in the most personal way.

However, it didn’t all make sense at once, but over time, I started noticing patterns. A phrase in my journal, a conversation, a nudge – they began to connect. And slowly, I realized that God was speaking to me. Not in dramatic ways, but in everyday moments that built on each other. He was showing me something bigger than I could’ve seen all at once.

The conversations, the prayers, the pages – His presence was being shown to me.
And piece by piece, He was teaching me how to listen.

An Invitation for You

Maybe that’s what you’re longing for too.

Not a perfectly structured journal or a formula to follow – but a personal connection.
A way of making space.
A quiet invitation to notice that He’s already near.

It’s not too late. You are not alone.
God is speaking – and you’re learning to hear Him.

With that in mind, friend, if you’re wondering how to find the “path of life”… maybe it’s closer than you think.

Maybe it begins by opening your journal – and opening your heart. Journaling with God isn’t about perfection or performance. It’s about presence. Quiet moments to listen, respond, and remember that He’s near.

There is more.
There is joy.
You are on a path.
And He’s walking it with you.

From Reading to Responding
When can you take a few quiet moments to hear from God today?

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