Christian Meditation Journals are great for Christian meditation. Many people who use a meditation journal will find that it is beneficial to their lives, it helps them understand God’s character on a deeper level, and allows them to dwell on Scripture to a greater degree.
What is a Christian Meditation Journal? A Christian Meditation Journal is a creative space, usually in blank book form, where Christians can write what they choose to meditate on. Christians choose their own meditation content either from Scripture or inspired by Scripture. It is a place where they can write their meditations, reflect on them, and read them. All meditation is completely inspired by the Bible.
I know that you’re probably excited to start your own meditation journal, but read this for a few helpful ideas to start. And if you aren’t sure about the idea, keep reading to know more.
What is a Meditation Journal
Now that we have clearly defined what a meditation journal is, we should go more in-depth as to what is it, and even what it is not.
Many people correlate journals with personal details, and while a mediation journal is personal, it is not a normal journal. It is true, that what you choose to meditate on is deeply personal. But that is not the full picture. A Christian meditation journal is not a book for you to put all of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions in to. It is not a place to diary your life, or to even fill in your hopes and dreams.
This is not to say that that type of journal is wrong, but only that it is not a meditation journal. A meditation journal is personal because you are the one who chooses what you meditate on. You can ask others, and even God, what to meditate on, but at the end of the day you make the decision. Likewise, what you meditate on can reveal your struggles and hopes.
How To Use One
Not only should you plan your meditation time, but you should also choose wisely what to meditate on. The most important thing to remember is that your meditation must come from Scripture. This meditation journal is to fill your mind and renew your mind in the truth of God, so Scripture must be incorporated.
When using your meditation journal, find a quiet, peaceful place where you can freely think and soak in your meditation. Keep your Bible and your pen(s) near, so that you can use them while meditating. And please remember that this is a set apart time between you and the Holy Spirit.
Planning Your Meditation Time
If you don’t make a plan for how you are going to use your journal, you may never use it. When using a meditation journal, you may find it beneficial to use it at the same time every day, to offer structure and schedule to your meditation journal. This may be in the morning when you first wake up to start your day. It may be before or after your most stressful times, like after your morning meetings or before making dinner. Scheduling your meditation right before you sleep may also be a perfect time to use your meditation journal.
Some schedules look different than others, and some people have very little structure to their day. If this is you, try using your meditation journal when it would be the most beneficial for you throughout the day. Whenever you have the spare chance or some alone time, take your journal out. Keep it on you, so that it is always accessible and try to have your Bible and a pen because these are important tools for the meditation journal.
What You Choose to Meditate On
Like we said before, what you choose to meditate on says a lot about you and where you are at with life. Allow God into your decision as to what to meditate on. Allow Him to guide you and to show you the best topic of meditation for your current situation.
If you are choosing to meditate on God’s provision, you may choose to meditate on Scriptures only about God’s provision. This will keep your mind dwelling upon this one characteristic of God. If you are trusting God with your future, you may choose to write about how God is faithful and trustworthy with all things. Bring Scripture into this area of your life because He will be faithful in showing you who He is. Write about God, and who He truly is, to lead you into all truth and understanding.
Ideas
Here we will discuss creative ideas that will inspire your meditation. What we go over is the freedom of this type of journal. A meditation journal is not a “one size fits all” type of book. We also discuss the beauty of art incorporated into a meditation journal and we even discuss poetry in your book.
Creative Ideas to Inspire Your Meditation
Remember, there is no right or wrong way to format your meditation journal. If you usually organize your thoughts clearly, feel free to make boxes, lists, and bullets. This will help you meditate on certain Scriptures or to help you organize the truths about God. If you consider yourself to have more of a free flow of thought or to abstract, write as long as you need it to be, or as little as you’d like. Don’t worry about punctuation, grammar, or even sense when freely writing a meditation on God’s character. It can be as messy or as neat as you are. All that matters is the fact that your mind and heart are being renewed in the knowledge of God.
Art is good for meditation journals. As you doodle, sketch, or even paint in your journal, you can meditate on God and on His word. Maybe you are practicing calligraphy in one verse, over and over. Over time, you will have the verse memorized. This is a form of meditation. When sketching a picture of God’s beauty, for example, meditate on this attribute of God. Dwell on it and speak to yourself that God is beautiful.
Poetry can even be introduced in your meditation journal. We see many books in the Old Testament, where prophets wrote poetry about God. So why couldn’t you? Writing poetry about the truth of God can be a powerful way to reflect on the measure of God’s attributes and His power. Write poetry about how He is the Creator of all, this will help you meditate on His power and creation. Write about His fatherhood, this will help you meditate on the father-heart of God. The list goes on and on. But whatever you want to meditate about, you can use poetry to help you. Just please make sure that it is all centered around the truth of God, which is found in the Bible.
Why You Should Get One
Now that you have read about Christian Meditation Journals, hopefully, you can see how to use one. But let’s talk about the “why”.
If you are looking to deepen your meditation life as a Christian, this tool is perfect for you. It allows you to open up your mind, and transform it with Scripture. When you choose to read Scripture over ad over, to write it, or to have reflections upon it, the Scripture will start to transform you.
Paul says “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
When we allow our minds to be transformed by God, Scripture says that we will have discernment and wisdom in the will of God. This is a huge reward and benefit from using a Christian Prayer Journal.