"For it is not an enemy who reproaches me;
Then I could bear it.
Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me;
Then I could hide from him."

~ Psalm 55:12 (NKJV)

Have you experienced the sort of betrayed feelings that David is expressing? Have you had a friend who, in your eyes (whether it's right or wrong), "betrayed" you, or wronged you in some way? Maybe it was someone, as David continues, who "took sweet counsel" with you. In your journal, write about that experience. Have you forgiven your friend? Search deep, sometimes we hold resentments deep within, and while we may think we have forgiven that person, we haven't completely forgiven them.

Christian Journaling Prompt Bonus: Now, let's look at this from a different angle. Consider your feelings that you wrote about in your journal, when you experienced a wrong from a friend. With that in mind, think about how the Lord feels when we stray from His side, and ignore His "rules" - rules set forth to protect and guide us. In your journal, think of a time when you knew (either during or after) that you were doing something the Lord wouldn't approve of. How much more do you think that feeling of utter sadness & disappointment that you experienced, was God's sadness and disappointment? Finally...consider this - when you asked for forgiveness of your transgression, He immediately, and without question forgave you. In your journal, consider that - and write about how that can guide you in forgiving others - even friends - who may have wronged you in the past or in the future.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders - providing you with handcrafted, personalized leather journals to record your daily Christian journaling in, and is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward - arranging the hair, wearing gld, or putting on fine apparel - rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."

~ 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NKJV)

You know, most people spend a certain amount of time on their outward appearance every day. Fixing your hair, accessorizing, choosing appropriate clothes, shaving, putting on makeup, etc. I haven't read a worldwide "average" of the time spent preparing oneself outwardly for the day, but, I would imagine it would be more than a half hour - even for the most bare bones person.

The question then becomes, how much time do we spend "adorning" our inside? "Adorning" our hearts and spirits? Do we spend at least as much time every day with inner/hidden adornment as we do with our outward appearance?

In your journal, consider how much time you spend on outward adornment, as opposed to inward adornment. Be brutally honest with yourself. Think about every time you stop in front of a mirror and "fix" your look - that counts towards your outward adornment time. Think about the short prayers and ejaculations you utter throughout the day - that counts towards inward adornment. How do the two compare in the amount of time spent on each?

Christian journaling prompt bonus: When you did the previous exercise, did you find that your inward adornment time is far outweighed by your outward adornment time? Or, were they closely matched? Was your inward adornment time far greater than your outward adornment time? With that information in mind, do you feel that the demeanor of your spirit is accurately reflected by your time expenditure? If you see your time expenditure is way out of balance - with much more outward adornment time than inward, what can you do to improve the demeanor of your spirit, and make more time for your inward adornment through reading scripture, prayer, and filling your mind, body, and soul with the goodness of the Lord?

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders - providing you with handcrafted leather journals to record your Christian journey, and is copyright (c) 2005 Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand."

~ Philippians 4:5 (NKJV)

In your journal, write about how your gentleness can be known to all men. What does this mean to you? Do you believe that your gentleness is known, or is it sporadic or lacking?

Christian journaling prompt bonus: Gentleness at all times isn't an easy task. There may be people in our path who compel us to thoughts of anything but gentleness. Yet, our command is to let our gentleness be known. What strategy can you use in your daily life to remember the importance of true gentleness in all situations? Write them in your journal.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders - providing you with handcrafted leather journals to record your Christian journey, and is copyright (c) 2005 Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"The work of righteousness will be peace, And the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever."

~ Isaiah 32:17 (NKJV)

In your journal, examine the work of righteousness in your life. Are you feeling peace? Do you feel the effects of quietness and assurance?

Christian journaling prompt bonus: Although we can not be perfectly righteous (none of us are perfect), we may feel the work of righteousness in our lives at various times - hopefully, more often than not. If you are not experiencing the work of righteousness or the effects of righteousness in your life right now, have you experienced it before? Write about that time in your journal. What was different then? Was there something present then that is missing in your life today (other than peace, quietness & assurance)? What can you change in your life today to move toward the peace, quietness and assurance that righteousness provides?

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders - providing you with handcrafted leather journals to record your Christian journey, and is copyright (c) 2005 Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

~ Galatians 5:22-23

In your journal, take some time to explore this question: Are you experiencing the full fruit of the Spirit in your daily life? Is there some fruit that is lacking in your life? Are you struggling with other pieces of this good fruit - sometimes experiencing it, and other times feeling like it is just beyond your reach?

Christian journaling prompt bonus: Which fruits of the Spirit do you think you have an abundance of? Would your friends & family agree with your assessment? What would they say you have an abundance of?

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders - providing you with handcrafted leather journals to record your Christian journey, and is copyright (c) 2005 Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:"

~Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NKJV)

If you are feeling rushed, take stock of all the activities you are doing in your journal. Do your priorities align with your activities? Are you trying to do too much? Are you living a life of balance?

Today's scripture reminds us of the importance of balancing our lives, keeping our schedules in check. To everything there is a season - there is a time for everything we are meant to do. We shouldn't feel rushed or overly busy, but, we must make sure that our schedules reflect our priorities. We must keep our lives in balance.

Daily Christian Journaling Prompt Bonus: If you don't feel rushed or overly busy, give some examples of how you make the decision of what to do and when to do it. Imagine that you've been asked by a loved one to guide him or her in un-muddying their own schedule. What would you tell them? How would you explain your method of managing your time?

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian Journaling Prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders, Inspirational Christian gifts for all seasons, and is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"Why is light given to him who is in misery,
And life to the bitter of soul,
Who long for death, but it does not come,
And search for it more than hidden treasures;"

~Job 3:20-21 (NKJV)

As I was reading this scripture, my Tammy Trent CD rotated into place and began playing, filling my room with her song "My Irreplaceable", and awesome, wonderous song about our Lord. This reminded me of her story - a heartwrenching story of the loss of a true love & companion - snatched away at a very young age. I don't believe in coincidence...there is a message behind all this.

When Job was suffering, he wondered, aloud, why the Lord would keep him alive - why not grant him his wish of death? Why make him continue to suffer in the darkness that overtook his life at the time.

There are times when most of us feel this way. Sometimes, the valleys of our journey feel never ending, and we wonder why we must continue to go on. We wonder if God has forgotten us, or is somehow "repaying" us for our previous sins.

However, we must take heart in the fact that our Lord will never forget or forsake us - and, when we sin and ask for forgiveness, He forgives us - completely forgetting the sin.

In your journal, think about a dark time in your life - one where you could completely empathize with Job's wish to die. What was the situation? Did you cling to the Lord during this time? What did you learn or "gain" from this time? How is the Lord using this in your life, in a positive way, now?

Christian journaling prompt bonus: If you are experiencing one of those deep dark valley times in your life now, write about it in your journal. Release all of your fears, frustrations, and sorrow into the pages of your journal. Search for the positive, even in this dark time, and write out a praise for the Lord - even if you don't feel like you have anything to praise. Remember, He has hedged you in, just like He hedged Job in - but, it isn't to keep you trapped in desolation and suffering - it is to protect you and help you heal.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders which also brings you personalized handcrafted leather journals where you can record your daily journaling prompts & your Christian journal, and is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"So he answered and said, 'You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind' and 'your neighbor as yourself'."

~Luke 10:27 (NKJV)

Love is a funny thing - not funny "ha-ha" - but, rather, funny - strange-funny. Because, in order to love, you must know how to love, but, in order to know how to love, you must experience love.

God, in His ultimate, almighty wisdom, understands that this is how He created us. And, showers us with His love, so that we may know love, experience love, and give love abundantly in return, as well as sharing it with others.

However, somewhere in all of this, we forget that we must love ourselves in order to effectively, truly love our neighbors. All this, amidst society's messages to us that we are never enough - never beautiful enough, never thin enough, never perfect enough. So, how do we honor God, and His creation that is us, if we can not believe that we are as He has meant us to be, and therefore love ourselves?

In your journal, take some time to think about your "faults". What is it about yourself that you just can't bring yourself to love? What is it that, when you look in the mirror, jumps out at you as imperfect and unlovable? How can you learn to love yourself - despite your faults and imperfections - including them as loveable parts of yourself?

Christian Journaling Prompt Bonus: Many times, our blessings in life - are disguised among the thorns. The same can be true with the most loveable things within ourselves - they can be disguised *as* thorns - as flaws and imperfections. Using your earlier entry as a guide, list your flaws and imperfections - and how they are or can be used for God's purpose in your life. Consider the blessings that are "hidden" within your perceived flaws.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders, bringing you inspirational Christian gifts for all occassions that help you and those you love remember who you are, and is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To Preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed;

~Luke 4:18 (NKJV)

The Spirit moves and provides us with our "to do" list, if we allow Him. He directs our path, and leads us towards completing God's will for us. The problem sometimes becomes that, in the busyness of our lives, we linger and procrastinate, and put off doing the "to do" of today.

In your journal, write out your to-do list that the Spirit has given you. Are you faithfully acting on His promptings, or do you feel like you are either not hearing Him or procrastinating in your action?

Christian Journaling Prompt Bonus: If you don't feel like the Spirit has given you a to-do list, take some time in your journal to pray and ask for the Spirit's guidance, guiding your hand to write out His to-do's for you.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders: Handcrafted Leather Journals custom designed for you, and is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts."

~Psalm 119:45 (NIV)

Do you ever feel chained and heavily burdened by the crazy busyness and demands of daily life? Have you ever felt an intense longing to have more time for worship, for family, for friends? Do you long to walk about in freedom? If you do now or have in the past, take some time to write about that in your journal today.

Christian Journaling Prompt Bonus: One of the major factors in walking in freedom is seeking and following the Lord's precepts - which means that our priorities truly need to be in order.

How do your priorities mesh with your schedule? Would someone looking in from the outside see your schedule and immediately be able to discern where your priorities are accurately? Or would they look confused or bewildered? Would they look at your schedule and guess a completely different set of priorities?

In your journal, ponder these questions, and if the answer is that someone looking in from the outside wouldn't be able to immediately see where your priorities lay, write your priorities as you see them (without looking at your schedule), and then, reflecting on your schedule, outline how you can make sure that those things that are priorities to you are reflected in how you spend your time.

Happy Journaling!

Dei gratia,

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders, which carries a wide selection of custom made, personalized handcrafted leather journals designed specifically for you, and is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation...teaches us to say 'no' to ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self controlled, upright, and godly lives."

Titus 2:11,12 (NIV)

God's grace is truly beyond comprehension sometimes. It's difficult to understand why He continually pours His grace onto us - even when we make mistakes, stumble on our path, or wander away. Yet, it is always there, pouring down on us. Constant.

His grace teaches us to reject worldly desires - to die to self and to live in Christ.

In your journal, write about the changes that you have seen in your life as a result of this outpouring of grace. They may be imperceptible until you really look at who you used to be and examine who you are today.

Christian journaling prompt bonus: How can you make God's grace & His glory the focus of your life? What can you do to frame your day with Him - so intertwined in your hectic life that your life is a self-controlled, upright, godly life?

Happy journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders - inspirational Christian gifts for all occassions designed to remind you who you are, and is copyright (c) 2005, except where otherwise noted. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
The God of glory thunders;
The Lord is over many waters.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
Yes the Lord splinters the cedars of Lebanon.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
The Lord shake the Wilderness of Kadesh."

~Psalm 29: 3,5,8 (NKJV)

The voice of the Lord. It's everywhere we turn. It's over the waters, in the cedars, in the wilderness. Sometimes, we are more in tune with the voice of the Lord in some places over others. In your journal, write about where you hear the voice of the Lord. His powerful, majestic voice.

Christian journaling prompt bonus: Even in the wilderness - the spiritual wilderness, we can hear the voice of the Lord. His voice, calling us out, inviting us back. Think of a time in your life when you were in the wilderness. When you heard the voice of the Lord, were you quick to follow? Or, lost in the wilderness, were you weary and full of angst....making following His voice more difficult?

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth by removed,
And though the mountains be carried into
the midst of the sea;
Though its waters roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with its swelling.
Selah"

~Psalm 46:1-3 (NKJV)

Sometimes it can be hard to remain calm - even when the earth shakes, the waters roar, the hillside crumbles, or the waves of life swell - threatening to crush us if we do not run and hide. Yet, Psalm 46 tells us that we have nothing to fear. No matter what is happening, God is our strength and refuge.

In your journal, after your Selah, write about those things that you fear most at this time. After writing out your fears, look closely at them. What is the cause of the fear or the root of the fear? Note the cause or root of each fear in your journal. After finishing, ask God to be your strength and refuge, and show you the light that is hidden within those things that you fear.

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt is brought to you by FaithMinders and is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises, except where otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.

"And now, Lord, what do I wait for?
My hope is in You."

~Psalm 39:7 (NKJV)

In your journal, write down what you are waiting for. Is there a prayer you are awaiting an answer to? Maybe an answer to a question that you've asked the Lord to give you guidance on. Take time to write about it in your journal, giving pause to each thing you are waiting on, and slowly, patiently, waiting in between each item, to hear His prompting.

Christian Journaling Prompt Bonus: What are your hopes? Your dreams? Write them in your journal entry. Have you asked the Lord to provide them? How are you waiting? Are you waiting patiently, knowing with full certainty that they will come in His time? Or are you losing hope because it has been a while?

Happy Journaling!

Dee

This Christian journaling prompt, brought to you by FaithMinders - inspirational Christian gifts that celebrate your awesome salvation - is copyright (c) 2005, Dee Kreidel & Saving Grace Enterprises. All Rights Reserved. Duplication without permission is not permitted.