Image via WikipediaThe Prayer diary You may call to mind spiritual journals such as St. Augustine's Confessions and others. Such journals, and our own more meager experiences, make it clear that God's guidance in our lives is seen mainly in retrospect. How important it is then, to maintain some kind of record of our more significant questions, prayers, changes of directions, joys and hurts, as we reflect on this God-given life. Both the actual writing of diary entries, and the scanning back over entries for past months or years, have the effect of clarifying feelings and the meaning of experiences. More important, they foster a meditative perspective on such every-day questions as:
•Is this what God would have me do at this time?
•How clear am I about my motives in wanting something?
•What has been the outcome of my encouragement to individuals?
•Where is God in all this conflict in my life?
•Are my 'experiments' with spiritual actions bearing fruit? What does God seem to be saying to us in the responses to these times?
•What are the pressures that have distracted my good intentions?
•What was that idea that popped into my mind as I came home today?
Even brief journal entries permit a longer perspective and a thoughtful and prayerful consideration of the twists and turns of life's path. They help to make it clear where God's guidance or promptings have, or have not, been present. They should not drive us to quit and 'trying harder' (salvation by works), but rather to a greater honesty with ourselves, and a greater openness to alternative paths the Spirit might have for us. They help us keep track of our outer and inner life and their inter-connections.
Some suggestions
1.Buy a strong exercise book, memo book or one of the slimmer bound journals - large enough for ease of writing or sketching, but not too bulky to take on your holidays or to retreats. Some people prefer blank pages, others prefer lined pages.
2.Consider how you want to sub-divide the use of the journal. One method is to use the front of the book for your thought life - recording events and thoughts, and your prayerful reflections on these and turning the book upside down and using the back of the book for your unconscious life - recording and commenting on dreams, visions, the disturbing thoughts that bubble up now and them, and the substance of and answers to prayers.
3.Confidentiality: because a journal contains highly personal thoughts of the writer, and sometimes prayers for or thoughts about others, it is best not to leave it lying around where others may be tempted to pick it up and browse through it. As a matter of principle, your journal is 'for your eyes only'; it is even worth using a private shorthand or code for names and particular events to retain confidentiality. Anything that will encourage you to write down and subsequently reflect upon your innermost thoughts.
4.Number the pages and date all entries in the journal, fore ease of cross-reference and the better understanding of changes over time. If away from home, also indicate your location, so that it is possible to relate your outer journeys to your inner ones.
5.Frequency of entries; some 'religiously' make daily entries, others weekly, and others only when particular events or experiences (a dream, illness, conflict, decisions, etc.) seem to require a special focus on movements in your relationships with God. It should be used as frequently as seems necessary to stimulate and encourage growth in your inner life - and most of us need that very frequently rather than occasionally. Discipline is necessary, as in all areas of significance in our lives.
6.Opening entry: when first starting a journal, it is helpful to write down why you are doing this, what prompted you to start, what you hope for in the exercise, your hesitations about the exercise, and some kind of commitment such as 'daily entries for one month' or 'at least weekly entries for six months''. Hopefully such trial periods will demonstrate the ongoing value of journal keeping.
7.Decide on or experiment with the best time of the day or night for writing and reflection. Early morning, a midday break, or late evening before going to bed, all have their advantages, depending on the rhythms of our lives. Find a time and place that suits you best.
8.Commence by becoming still and quiet in a comfortable but not to relaxing position. Be still, and listen to outer sounds for several minutes; then seek to still your inner thoughts and the busyness of your mind. Praying the Lord's Prayer, or other prayers, help focus attention on the Lord to whom we wish to attend in journal writing. Breathing steadily but quietly, consciously letting go of muscular tensions, or changing posture to lessen pressures on the body - these are all conducive to the stillness and inner attentiveness that are necessary.
9.Pray quite specifically along lines such as the following: 'Lord, I want this time to be profitable in my relationship with you. Help me to put aside my fears and hesitations; help me to deal with distracting thoughts as they bubble up; help me to attend to the movements of my spiritual program, and to your plan, signposts, redirections and warning along the way. I come to find out more about your love for me and for those I love and serve in your name'.
10.Consider including in your journal:
•significant joys and hurts of the day
•quotations from people, or readings that have struck you - stimulating thoughts, challenging ideas, sayings that demand further reflections
•a list of those people or situations you pray for and the answers you seek with the eye of faith
•experiences or thoughts that disturb you, as you grapple with their meaning
•a list of people you need to reach out to, keep in touch with, or have some special responsibility for
•your own 'poetry of the spirit', the ways you seek to verbalize the peaks and valleys, of your journey with God.
What about starting a journal now?
•Is this what God would have me do at this time?
•How clear am I about my motives in wanting something?
•What has been the outcome of my encouragement to individuals?
•Where is God in all this conflict in my life?
•Are my 'experiments' with spiritual actions bearing fruit? What does God seem to be saying to us in the responses to these times?
•What are the pressures that have distracted my good intentions?
•What was that idea that popped into my mind as I came home today?
Even brief journal entries permit a longer perspective and a thoughtful and prayerful consideration of the twists and turns of life's path. They help to make it clear where God's guidance or promptings have, or have not, been present. They should not drive us to quit and 'trying harder' (salvation by works), but rather to a greater honesty with ourselves, and a greater openness to alternative paths the Spirit might have for us. They help us keep track of our outer and inner life and their inter-connections.
Some suggestions
1.Buy a strong exercise book, memo book or one of the slimmer bound journals - large enough for ease of writing or sketching, but not too bulky to take on your holidays or to retreats. Some people prefer blank pages, others prefer lined pages.
2.Consider how you want to sub-divide the use of the journal. One method is to use the front of the book for your thought life - recording events and thoughts, and your prayerful reflections on these and turning the book upside down and using the back of the book for your unconscious life - recording and commenting on dreams, visions, the disturbing thoughts that bubble up now and them, and the substance of and answers to prayers.
3.Confidentiality: because a journal contains highly personal thoughts of the writer, and sometimes prayers for or thoughts about others, it is best not to leave it lying around where others may be tempted to pick it up and browse through it. As a matter of principle, your journal is 'for your eyes only'; it is even worth using a private shorthand or code for names and particular events to retain confidentiality. Anything that will encourage you to write down and subsequently reflect upon your innermost thoughts.
4.Number the pages and date all entries in the journal, fore ease of cross-reference and the better understanding of changes over time. If away from home, also indicate your location, so that it is possible to relate your outer journeys to your inner ones.
5.Frequency of entries; some 'religiously' make daily entries, others weekly, and others only when particular events or experiences (a dream, illness, conflict, decisions, etc.) seem to require a special focus on movements in your relationships with God. It should be used as frequently as seems necessary to stimulate and encourage growth in your inner life - and most of us need that very frequently rather than occasionally. Discipline is necessary, as in all areas of significance in our lives.
6.Opening entry: when first starting a journal, it is helpful to write down why you are doing this, what prompted you to start, what you hope for in the exercise, your hesitations about the exercise, and some kind of commitment such as 'daily entries for one month' or 'at least weekly entries for six months''. Hopefully such trial periods will demonstrate the ongoing value of journal keeping.
7.Decide on or experiment with the best time of the day or night for writing and reflection. Early morning, a midday break, or late evening before going to bed, all have their advantages, depending on the rhythms of our lives. Find a time and place that suits you best.
8.Commence by becoming still and quiet in a comfortable but not to relaxing position. Be still, and listen to outer sounds for several minutes; then seek to still your inner thoughts and the busyness of your mind. Praying the Lord's Prayer, or other prayers, help focus attention on the Lord to whom we wish to attend in journal writing. Breathing steadily but quietly, consciously letting go of muscular tensions, or changing posture to lessen pressures on the body - these are all conducive to the stillness and inner attentiveness that are necessary.
9.Pray quite specifically along lines such as the following: 'Lord, I want this time to be profitable in my relationship with you. Help me to put aside my fears and hesitations; help me to deal with distracting thoughts as they bubble up; help me to attend to the movements of my spiritual program, and to your plan, signposts, redirections and warning along the way. I come to find out more about your love for me and for those I love and serve in your name'.
10.Consider including in your journal:
•significant joys and hurts of the day
•quotations from people, or readings that have struck you - stimulating thoughts, challenging ideas, sayings that demand further reflections
•a list of those people or situations you pray for and the answers you seek with the eye of faith
•experiences or thoughts that disturb you, as you grapple with their meaning
•a list of people you need to reach out to, keep in touch with, or have some special responsibility for
•your own 'poetry of the spirit', the ways you seek to verbalize the peaks and valleys, of your journey with God.
What about starting a journal now?
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