Mindful Journal Prompts For An Intentional New Year - Serenity in Suffering

May I get personal? What are your intentions for the New Year? Not resolutions, not goals: intentions. Both resolutions and goals remain mere ideas apart from solid intention. Whether you prefer resolutions, goals or taking each day as it comes, my mindful journal prompts for an intentional new year provide a valuable spiritual assessment tool.

Spending the beginning days and weeks of January mindfully pursuing God’s purposes for you in the new year, helps define a clear purpose. We started week one with looking forward in Hope, and entered week two considering thought provoking questions. This week we examine the role of intention for our new year.

Welcome to Mindfulness Monday! Where we learn some easy ways to be more present “in the moment” at our jobs, in our homes, with our families and friends. Learning to recognize God and what He has for us in each divine moment He offers. We acknowledge the belief that God is with us always. We confess His presence is available to us, lifting our spirit and helping us with power and grace. Learning to “be still”, so we can hear His voice and view ourselves, others and our surroundings through His eyes.

Why mindful journaling?

Not everyone enjoys journaling. If you fall into that category, stick with me, journaling takes many forms and one might click with you.

Journaling provides the best method for free association, processing complicated thoughts and emptying your mind. Once thoughts and ideas hit the paper, your mind categorizes them as “complete”. Which explains why journaling sparks creativity. Renewed creativity results more from a mind free of crowded thoughts than sudden amazing ideas.

Using mindful journal prompts for an intentional new year moves goals into action while igniting the passion for accomplishing them.

mindful journaling as a spiritual assessment tool

Besides the great benefits of journaling for clearing the mind and processing complicated thoughts and emotions; it provides a powerful tool for spiritual growth.

In Joshua 4:1-7, God instructs the Israelites to erect a memorial of the victory in crossing the Jordan River.

The stones were “to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ You shall tell them…so These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:6-7

Just as the Israelites required a reminder of God’s faithfulness in time past, we need the same “memorials” and reminders. Journaling as part of your spiritual walk, supplies a method for reflecting on God’s Presence and action on your behalf.

Furnishing a concrete memorial, journal entries instill hope during difficult and uncertain times, evidence of spiritual maturity in temptation and fuel for praise in the monotony of life.

journaling prompts intention

“I write because I don’t know what I think until I read what I say.” 

Flannery O’Connor

Flannery O’Connor’s quote inspires my journaling more than anything else. The fickle nature of thoughts makes truly grasping them utterly impossible. Several friends complain of trouble nailing down decisions, intentions, beliefs or even opinions for this very reason.

Yet they refuse journaling of any type.

Tragically, circumstance, emotion and distractions influence not only our thoughts, but our memory.

God knew despite experiencing the miracle of crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the Israelites would soon forget God’s amazing intervention. God also knew the hardships and discouragement ahead of them.

The memorial provided the vivid, unalterable reminder of God’s past faithfulness, fueling their intention of possessing the Promised Land before them.

journaling defeats doubts

When trial, suffering, discouragement and doubt visited the Israelites, they held ready proof of God’s provision, strengthening their resolve.

Journaling provides the same unalterable evidence for me. Time and again faltering on a hard path, I turned back to my journal for reassurance of God’s faithfulness.

On the hard paths of life, in the darkest valleys, memory of God’s past interventions deserted me. Fear, doubt, confusion and discouragement, my only companions spoke no hope. The enemy of my soul distorted every thought, exchanging memory for lies.

Simply holding the memory of God’s past faithfulness fades in the battle, falling prey to distortion by fear, doubt and the enemy.

Journaling offers undisputable evidence of God’s Presence, provision and promises. Which results in an infusion of hope, renewed intention and courage for stepping more fully into your purpose.

Journaling for an intentional new year

While journaling offers strength, encouragement and hope from recorded events of God’s Presence provision and promises, it also evidences spiritual growth along with areas in need of improvement.

Enter mindful journaling prompts. Working through these journal prompts helps you build focus and intention surrounded by purpose.

Work through the prompts by journaling your thoughts, prayerfully seeking God’s counsel while recording His words and brainstorming action steps.

Intention without action is merely an empty idea.

Personally, I love good, old-fashioned journaling to tease out the nuances of my thoughts, wrestle with God’s instruction and hammer out a solid plan.

BUT, journaling methods abound. For these mindful journal prompts for an intentional new year, try a variety of options from simple writing to illustrating.

Skip the fancy journals and open a text document on your phone or computer and type out thoughts arising from the prompts.

Snag a cheap spiral notebook and bullet point your way through, or grab a scratch pad and scribble out thoughts, ideas, pictures, whatever flows. I have a friend who uses sticky notes with quotes, thoughts, verses, ideas, she jots down as they come. She then “sticks” them around the house or in a spiral notebook.

mindful journal prompts

• Review your most important lesson fom the previous year.
• List at least five hardships from the previous year; reflect on God’s Presence, provision and promises during those times.
• Detail a recent time when you felt God’s Presence with you.
• Write about an area of control you need to release to God.
• Choose five attributes of God. Reflect where in your life you see these most displayed.
• Personalize your favorite Bible verse.
• Identify an area for Kingdom impact in the coming year. A specific relationship, person, ministry, project or geographical area.
• Write about your current season of life.
• From the perspective of your current season of life, where can you have the most kingdom impact?
• As you sit quietly before the Lord, what word or phrase continues coming up.

• Identify ways God is speaking to you through a particular word or phrase.
• Choose three specific prayer requests for the coming year.
• Write about your biggest challenge in the coming year.
• List three things about the new year bringing you anxiety. Compose a prayer of release trusting those people, situations or concerns to God.
• Identify two areas for personal, emotional or spiritual change in the coming year. Detail action steps for getting started.
• Identify a relationship, person, situation or need you struggle trusting to God. Detail your fears to God.
• Name three unexpected ways God blessed you in the previous year.
• Detail three ways you can love others well in the coming year.
• Identify an area of weakness or discouragement. Choose two or three Bible verses to personalize for help and encouragement.
• Reflecting on God’s grace and mercy to you in the past year, brainstorm ways to show the same to others in the new year.

a new year with intention

Building intention before stepping into the new year clarifies your God given purpose from the inside out. Intentions, unlike goals are not attached to expected outcomes. They influence your approach to situations and decisions; keeping you focused on your purpose.

Working through all or a few of the mindful journal prompts builds intention into approaching a new year. Continued journaling along the way creates a memorial of God’s faithfulness: evidence of His Presence, provision and promises.

Creating a solid rock where you return for strength in trial, courage admidst challenges and praise to encourage your heart and others along the way.

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