Fellowship of the Metroplex, Arlington, Texas, USA

Why Keep a Quiet Time Journal?

To strengthen your faith and improve your relationship with God – the Holy Spirit will guide you.
It allows you to remember and track God-related matters in your life, including prayers.
Through a journal you can monitor your own progress in your relationship with God and others.
It can help you see God's hand in your life, and better understand His will for you.

How Do I Start a Journal?

You can buy elaborate and decorative journals at area Christian book stores or online, but a journal need be nothing more than a bound notebook or loose-leaf pages that you insert in a two- or three-ring binder. The advantage of a three-ring letter size binder is that you can insert anything in it, including e-mails and other prayer lists.
There is computer journal software.
There are even online journal services.
The main thing is that you use something that YOU are comfortable with and that can be kept private.

What Do I Put In the Journal?

The journal is a place to write private thoughts to yourself; you are both the author and the intended audience.
As you read the Bible, copy or refer to a verse or verses that stand out to you.
Write a short statement about what this means to you at the time.
Write a short statement of how this truth could be applied to your life, and what change(s) you need to make.
You should include other thoughts, comments, songs, quotes, etc. that seem significant to you at the time.
In an adjacent column, record when you believe specific prayers were answered and how, and follow-up actions and thoughts. Write a note about what success or what problems you had applying scripture to your life.

How Do I Pray?

Remember ACTS:
- Adulation – Praise God
- Confession – Confess your sins
- Thanks – Thank God
- Supplication – Ask God

Who and What Do I Pray For?

Short answer: Anything and everything; remember your Top Ten:
- Self
- Family
- Friends
- Church leaders
- Church/Life Group members
- Church visitors/attenders
- People in the community/school/work
- Other people
- President and government
- World communities/situations

Quiet Time Journal

Example

Name: Any One Number: 22

Date
Prayer, Verse, Application, Thought, Comment, Song, Quote, etc.

Date
Answer and/or Follow-up

2/1/06
God’s name today: Comforter
Confess anger at work and home.
Confess cheating at school.
Thank you for allowing my wife to forgive me my anger.
Thank you for providing finances for fixing the car.
Help me to focus on you more during the day.
Help my wife on her first day of work.
Give my friend John strength for tests at the doctor tomorrow – if it’s your will, please let the tests be negative.
Make your direction clear to Pastor Scott and the FOM leadership.
Be with my Life Group Leader, Jeff, as he makes job decisions.
Read Luke 10. Remember Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Song: “Be still my soul”

2/4/06 Apologized to my co-workers.

3/1/06 Joined a Bible Study at work.

2/2/06 Praise God, she did great.
2/2/06 Praise God, John said it was not as bad as he thought it would be.
2/15/06 Results positive. God, you’re in control and John knows that.

2/10/06 Jeff said that he felt at peace with his decision.
3/2/06 I keep coming back to this verse and realizing how impacting it is: Scott summarized it yesterday as “Love God, Love Others” – I like that – simple, but true.

Click here for a blank Quiet Time Journal page in Word format or here in Adobe Acrobat format (click here for free Adobe Acrobat Reader) to print out and fill out manually. Or, click here for a blank Quiet Time Journal document in Word format to fill out on a computer every day.