What Happens When You Put Your Faith on Paper

How My Journal Became a Space for God’s Guidance

My faith journal began as nothing more than a particular notebook—one set aside from the many half-used, tossed-around, scribbled-on notebooks I tend to keep. In this one, I decided I would collect any notes pertaining to my faith journey.

Over the past few years, I’ve been growing closer to God, but for much of that time, it often felt like I was speaking into the void—knowing He was there, feeling a gentle but persistent tug to draw nearer, yet struggling to discern His voice. I didn’t know what to expect. Would it be an audible voice? An intuitive thought that dropped in and interrupted my own, in response to me? A visible sign or written answer in my surroundings?

As I spent more quiet time in Scripture, I slowly began to feel a two-sided connection stirring. Still, I wrestled with how to lean in and hone more personal closeness and clarity. Sometimes I’d hear a great word from a YouTube sermon, a TikTok clip, or during a church service (once I began attending regularly.) These words, examples, or sentiments often felt divinely timed—fitting my life like a glove, moving me, or helping me understand God better.

Not wanting to forget them, I’d jot them down in this green-and-pink flowered notebook. At first it was messy—random verses, quotes, and sermon notes scattered across the first several pages. Soon, I began dating them as well, realizing how precise and intentional the Lord’s timing is. I wanted to remember not only what I had heard, but also when.

I remember when my late nights overthinking myself to sleep shifted into a type of late night, falling-asleep-on-the-phone internal conversations with God. These end of day, insomniatic prayers always sounded like brain dumps and anxious spirals and ventings–I’d circle around the same questions again and again: How will You use me, Lord? What was I made for? What are You saying to me? What do You want me to know?

At this point, I was desperately seeking answers from Him in the thick of a deafeningly quiet, hollow season of what I now understand as a part of sanctification.

Eventually, I not only asked God how and when He will use me, but I finally also asked myself: Am *I* even ready or able to be used by God?

Despite my good intentions, I reflected on the reality that I often turned to “easier-to-digest” faith content—social media, podcasts, or TikTok clips. While encouraging, these messages were often consumed in passing and passively–quickly seen and quickly forgotten before they could permeate my heart more deeply, or make a real impact on my thought patterns and behaviors. Even YouTube sermons (helpful as they were,) became somewhat of a crutch before I had the courage to step into a local church community. I had this litter of tangible efforts going to remind me of God and His word during everyday life–yet I still wasn’t personally in my bible (or in real prayer and meditation of the word,) often enough with the Lord to develop the intimacy I craved–The type of intimacy where His presence and voice can be noticed more clearly.

In this cycling of questions I constantly posed to the Lord in prayer, and then the subsequent prompting to question myself the inverse of them– I felt the Lord wanting to answer me, but I needed to find a way to hone in on that intimacy first to hear Him clearly and stop hitting the same mental blocks and external distractions.

At this point, I still couldn’t say for certain that I had ever “heard” God, but I believed wholeheartedly that He speaks, and I yearned to be close enough to Him to really know when I’m being spoken to.

As I tried to focus more on discerning His voice apart from my own or the world’s, I became painfully aware of all the noise that seemed to drown Him out the moment I started to lean in. I knew it was time to be more intentional in creating space in my life to not just learn about God, but for our one-on-one relationship to deepen.

When I’d look back, I could clearly see my life was heavily speckled with answered prayers, yet I still responded anxiously at every new challenge. Each time, I acted as if He might not show up, as if I could only ultimately rely on myself. The evidence of His faithfulness was real and repeated, but it was constantly being washed away in the noise, distractions and stresses of everyday life. How could I forget how faithful He has been to me, over and over? Even the trust I desired and knew existed with the Lord was continually being stifled from growing.

I started to suspect that this constant “erasure” of reverence and focus on and for the Lord wasn’t a neutral happening of life, but something much more oppositional toward my relationship with God, and it was something I would need to actively contend with.

I cracked open the faith notebook and began to write:

“If I don’t write it down, I’ll forget. If I can’t remember, I can’t recall. If I can’t recall, I can’t reference, I can’t prove, I can’t learn, and I can’t change. […]

I keep wondering and asking God how He’s going to use me for His will, but how useful is someone who always forgets yesterday’s conversation? 

How useful is someone who does not keep a record of the teachings and instructions provided for their assignments?”

I pictured an employee who is saying they want to align themselves with the company’s goals, crush their projects, and advance within the company. This same employee comes in each day saying they are ready to get started; in fact, they get a bit whiny about feeling purposeless, showing up day after day without being engaged with more, and express feeling sidelined if you don’t give them an assignment. 

The same employee took zero notes during orientation, zero during training, and wasn’t even paying attention when you tried to give them their first couple of practice assignments. They nod and smile, assuming much of the information is common sense and common practice, before quickly getting back to non-work-related activities. They come in on their own time, seek to increase their competence very rarely and selectively, yet constantly ask to be affirmed, given more benefits, and made more comfortable.

This is what we do with God. This is what I had done with God up until that point.

I only reached the bottom of one short page, and I was already halted in my steps at what I realized. 

I kept my thoughts flowing:

“I’m beginning to understand that keeping a journal for my faith walk with the Lord is not in vain, but how I choose to deepen this relationship and surrender to Him the power to impress upon me what He is speaking every day. 

I’m sure the enemy would love it if I continued to be too hurried, too busy, and too forgetful to be truly useful to the Lord and answer His call in my life.”

Another image came to me: a phone on silent, softly lighting up with an incoming call, but sitting unnoticed on a table in an otherwise loud, crowded room. Entertainment and chaos demand attention from every corner without end. The phone lights up again and again, but I miss it, over and over—often forgetting it’s even there.

I continued,

“This journal is how I keep my eyes on the Lord. It is how I sift my thoughts through a fine filter in a sacred space, so I may learn to hear and distinguish His voice the loudest amongst the never-ending noise.”

That first entry set the tone. It gave me more clarity than my circling thoughts ever had. The message was simple but clear:

I would make a concerted effort to be someone the Lord could rely on to listen.

From there, journaling became a lifeline. Sometimes I wrote daily; other times, weeks passed between entries. But I began to crave that time. The Lord began to reveal so much to me through the conversations and prayers that took place in this journal. There were days when I wept over the pages, humbled to my core at where the conversation with the Lord took me. Even in those sessions where I ended on-my-face, totally humbled and speechless to tears–I felt His hand gently, sweetly resting on my shoulder. The kindness of his gaze upon me as I saw myself clearer and clearer, sore and sobered from the drunkenness of worldly influences and pursuits.

The palpable intimacy in and of itself with the presence of the Lord, would pour into me in a way that nothing else ever had. For the first time, I understood what people meant when they said they yearned to feel the Lord’s presence. When I wanted to talk something over with Him, I grabbed a pen and sat down with my faith journal.

If you’ve ever longed to hear God’s voice more clearly, or wondered how to stay anchored in His truth when life feels noisy, I can tell you—faith journaling made all the difference for me. Here are a few of the gifts I’ve received through it:

1. Evidence of God — a record of asked + answered prayers

Keeping a written record turned vague impressions into concrete evidence of God’s faithfulness. When I look back, I can actually see His hand on my life: prayers asked, prayers answered, and the ways He showed up consistently over time. That record strengthens my faith in the present and makes future doubts easier to navigate. (“Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.” Psalm 84:12 NIV)

2. Track long-term growth and full-circle moments

Journaling lets you step back and see seasons the way God does—slowly, intentionally, and with a bigger narrative in mind. Instead of a fleeting insight that disappears the next day, you capture micro-moments that, when collected, tell a grander story of growth. These entries help you understand why certain things took time and how disparate moments connect into a larger picture of God working. It’s really beautiful to reflect on, and has helped ground me in more peace and patience for God’s timing and plan for my life. (“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)

3. Hear more clearly — listening + remembering intently

So much of hearing from God depends on remembering and watching life closely. Journaling preserves those tiny details in life’s everyday landscape and happenings—small nudges, unusual peace, a verse that kept coming up—allowing you to trace patterns, confirmations, or even convictions. God’s fingerprints are everywhere, and the Holy Spirit guides. (“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” — Colossians 4:2 NIV | “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26 ESV)

4. A dedicated space for one-on-one conversation amid life’s noise

As a mom, walking away and shutting the door for quiet time with God isn’t always an option. My faith journal became a private, portable place where I could return to the conversation exactly where we left off. It made room for intimacy with God beyond passing thoughts, interruptions, and quick, forgettable devotionals. I let my children play and I would sit right there in the same room, at the dining or coffee table, with a coffee, often finishing up some leftover breakfast or lunch scraps, with my bible and my faith journal spread. Trust me–interruptions were plentiful, but God was patient for me to finish my thoughts as a toddler climbed up and down from my lap, cups were refilled, and almost-tumbles were caught. Some entries were longer than others, depending on what the day permitted, but that touch base with Him was always worth it. (“Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Psalm 62:1-2 NIV)

5. Cultivating deeper intimacy through honesty, confession, and repentance

When I confessed my weak places, raw thoughts, temptations, and mistakes, I was forced to journal into honest reflection. That kind of unguarded honesty produces meaningful repentance and deeper intimacy. I stopped downplaying and excusing, or even hiding the very things I needed to invite God into the most. The journal became a safe altar to name idols, surrender them, and allow God’s gentle and righteous correction to change me—I experienced His grace, loving conviction and unveiling of how these things deceive, distract, and distance me from Him, without the coldness of shame or rejection. (“Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law but under God’s grace. Romans 6:14 NCV” | “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 ESV)

6. Documenting struggles, lessons, and the tests that follow

Recording what you’re wrestling with makes patterns obvious: repetition, tests, and the irony of the lessons God keeps bringing back around. Journaling prevents you from learning the same thing over and over; it helps you sit with correction long enough to absorb more fully what God wants to show you, and then inspire and enforce meaningful change moving forward. (“Because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:5-6 NIV)

7. Clarifying what God is asking of you

When you collect those repeated promptings and small confirmations, they begin to form a map of obedience. Journaling gives you the evidence you need to begin to move with God in increasing confidence—proof that God is speaking, that He is the safe-keeper of the unrevealed details, and you CAN do what He asks. Trust Him with the purpose and the outcome of your obedience. If you believe He is putting something on your heart, or tasking you, write it down. Whenever it returns to you, note it. If you are hesitant, talk to Him. If you are doubting, talk to Him. Ask for confirmation. Track his faithfulness here as well and work that muscle of obedience. When good moves become God moves, and the voice of the enemy wants you to doubt God speaking to you, you can disprove the lies of discouragement and stay confidently aligned within God’s perfect plan. (The Lord says, “I will make you wise and show you where to go. I will guide you and watch over you.” Psalm 32:8 NCV)

8. A place to pray big, brave prayers

Your journal is a safe place to dream with God—bold, seemingly ridiculous requests included. Journal to offer your most honest, daring desires, ask for alignment with God’s will for you, and then use this as a place steward those unfolding dreams: asking God to partner with you, or to help you release what isn’t from Him. This type of journal entry helped me manage a tension that arose with merging and sorting through what I want for me, vs., what God wants for me. The truth is, I never want anything that I have to go around Him to get. It may not be a Godly gift, it may unknowingly involve deception and critical compromises, and it certainly won’t be sustainable. Trust me, you’ll never feel like you’re missing out on vision boards again. If God says yes, then the answer is yes. ( “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6 ESV)

9. An intimate documentation of your personal walk with the Lord

Over time, your journal becomes the transcript of a relationship. At first glance it may read one-sided, but when you trace entries across seasons, you’ll detect the voice of the other Speaker in how life unfolded. What feels like “ordinary” trial and triumph to you may deeply resonate with + encourage others someday—your documented obedience and vulnerability can become a quiet ripple that blesses people you’ll never meet. It also serves as a source of gratitude whenever you need it, that you have walked with a faithful God. (“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear Him; He also hears their cry and saves them.” Psalm 145:18-19 ESV)

Faith journaling has brought so much clarity and peace into my own walk, and I hope these takeaways spark ideas for your own practice. Maybe one stood out to you, or maybe you’re ready to explore all of them — either way, it’s a simple but powerful way to grow closer to God.

To make it even easier to start, I’ve created a set of faith journaling tips and prompts that go along with each point in this post. You’ll find them in my subscriber-only section, so if you’d like access, just make sure you’re subscribed (sign up below!) and then visit the subscriber-only post here.

Share + Save this post for later by pinning /sharing an image below!