Near to the Brokenhearted: Journaling for Spiritual Reflection

Sometimes the world seems so heavy that your heart is about to break. No one cares to listen. You have nowhere else to turn, so, you talk to God about it and record your thoughts in your journal. Scripture tells us God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Psalm 147:3). Later when you go back and read your journal entries, you have evidence that nothing is too hard for God.
Journaling is a powerful tool to help you reflect on how God is showing up in the ordinary moments of your life. You can use your journal for sorting your feelings, dumping your thoughts, or exploring your beliefs. When you journal, you can ramble, doodle, and ignore the conventions of proper grammar, if you wish. The journal provides a safe and private place for you to record your innermost thoughts and concerns. The thing to remember is that this process gives you a forum to purge, cleanse, and get it all out of your system without having to be concerned with judgment from others.
I invite you to use this journal to reflect on whatever stirs your heart after reading the devotional. Find a quiet place to be still for a time. How is God speaking to you through the Scripture and the devotional? What are your initial thoughts about what you read? What is disquieting or disorienting about what you read? What inspired you? What made you smile? After you record your thoughts, pray for guidance. Listen for the way God is speaking to you, then write a prayer in response. Be confident that God knows your heart, hears your prayers, and will answer. Blessings and peace!