How to Keep a Fasting Journal

How To Keep A Fasting Journal

Journals can serve as personal history books, recording even telephone calls and meetings.  They can also serve as recorded expressions of daily prayer and personal feelings.  The benefits of keeping a journal are numerous.  First, it helps to slow down and refocus fast-paced people.  Second, it gives people opportunities to get in touch with and record their feelings.  Third, it provides a means of recording important lessons God is daily teaching.  Also, a journal provides a record of God’s answers to prayers and other good gifts received from the Father.

How to Start Writing During your Fast

At the beginning or conclusion of each day, take time to record the events and lessons learned during the previous 24 hours.  The most difficult step in any new discipline is often the first step.  If you do not currently keep a spiritual journal, decide to keep one during your fast.  You may find that keeping a journal is a beneficial discipline you want to maintain throughout the rest of your life.  Also, by keeping a journal of your fast days you will have an accurate record of your feelings as you develop the discipline of fasting, and a reference for the special insights you received from God during your fast.

Your journal should include a variety of entries.  Some days your journal entry may represent a personal testimony.  Other days it will include insights from that day’s Scripture reading, a sermon you heard, an article you read or a Bible study you attended.  Often your journal will reflect your daily prayer requests, or praise to God for answered prayer.

Before you begin writing, take time to consider things that happened on your fast day and the lessons you have learned.  Some of these insights will be significant and obvious, and you will have little difficulty recognizing and recording them.  At other times, God may use subtle means to reveal Himself to you and to share important lessons you need to learn.

If you have difficulty finding things to record in your journal, you may wish to use this list to guide you as you write.

1. What has God revealed to you about Himself?

2. What has God revealed to you about His purposes?

3. What has God revealed to you about His ways?

4. What has God done in your life or through your life that has caused you to experience His presence?

5. What Scripture has God used to speak to you about Himself, His purposes or His ways?

6. What particular person or concern has God given you a burden to pray for?  What has He guided you to pray for in this situation?

7. What has God done through circumstances that have given you a sense of His timing or direction concerning any aspect of His will?