Pray With A Pen

Have you ever wanted to keep a spiritual journal? This beloved author tells you how, and why it will deepen your faith

- Debbie Macomber

Have you ever wanted to journal? To open up your heart to God in the private pages of a book? To have that sacred conversation every day of your life?

I started journaling regularly some 40 years ago, at a time in my life when I felt led to grow closer to the Lord. In those years, journaling deepened my faith, even changed my life. I start at 4 a.m., before I eat breakfast or sit at my desk to work. I study the Bible, read a devotional or two and then pull out one of several journals and write down all the things that are going through my head. What I’m thankful for, what I’m worried about, who I’m praying for, what I’m dreaming about, what I’m unhappy about. I wouldn’t be where I am today—as a mom, a wife, a grand-mother, a writer, a child of God—if it weren’t for this spiritual practice. It has formed me.

My journals are personal to me— unlike the books I publish. They’re so precious that I’ve stored the old ones in a safe. They are a witness to the prayers I’ve said, the many prayers God has answered and the prayers I’m still saying. I recently wrote a book to help people jump-start their journaling. Be a Blessing, I titled it. Journaling is a blessing. No, you don’t have to get up at 4 a.m. You don’t even have to do it in the morning. Just do it.