Mindfulness Journal Prompts For Daily Quiet Time - Serenity in Suffering

One of the well known benefits of mindfulness is an increase in awareness, specifically self-awareness. If you fear your emotions or find your thoughts bully you, more self-awareness can help bring peace and understanding to your world. But mindfulness also increases awareness in other ways. As a culture, we worship at the altar of “busyness” and miss the nuances of unhurried time with family, friends and God. Today I’m sharing mindfulness journal prompts for daily quiet time. These prompts are designed to help you engage more thoughtfully during the time you set aside each day with the Lord.

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.

Mindfulness journaling

If you regularly journal, you know the benefits of exploring your thoughts, feelings and events. Journaling provides a healthy outlet to process difficult emotions or situations. I elaborated on using journaling for anxiety in this post. A journal is also a great medium for recording special memories or family milestones. Personally, I find journaling perfect for processing my racing thoughts. Somehow, seeing them on paper, they seem less threatening, and I can manipulate them into orderly directives.

Mindfulness journaling takes things to the next level. It can help us dig deeper contemplatively, into what we are experiencing. Journaling creates space for us to safely and honestly express our thoughts and emotions. Adding mindfulness prompts encourages us to relate to the thoughts, emotions and experiences in an open way. Using the prompts invites us to receive thoughts, emotions and experiences openly and compassionately.

Increasing awareness during your quiet time

Most of us set aside time each day to spend with the Lord, which may include prayer, meditation and Bible reading. I set aside time both in the morning and evening to sit with the Lord. No matter how much time I spend, I often desire more! Of course life and responsibilities don’t always leave room for that option. So making the most of the time I do have is hugely important for me. That’s when I started using mindfulness journal prompts for daily quiet time.

Several friends of mine use a journal to record how the Lord spoke to them during their quiet time. While I often will journal something the Lord showed me, I failed to do it daily. When I integrated mindfulness into my quiet time, the mindfulness journal prompts enhanced my awareness. As I took time to journal through different prompts, my awareness in Bible reading, prayer and God’s presence increased.

mindfulness journal prompts for daily quiet time

Included here are seven mindfulness journal prompts for daily quiet time. You can begin your quiet time any way you like, I like to begin mine with a few moments of mindful breathing, which then drifts into what I call my welcoming prayer. Mindfulness is all about being present right here, right now. So I use it to settle myself in the present (not my to do list for the day) and welcome God’s presence focusing on communing with Him.

I then spend time in Bible reading, end with prayer and journal. The mindfulness journal prompts are designed to close your time contemplatively aware of what God spoke into your heart. Choose one or more, but no more than three. More than three will not only take a good deal of time, but cause overwhelm. The objective is the ability to receive openly all that God has for you.

What is the Story I am Telling Myself Right Now?

Explore any limiting beliefs related to what you read or your relationship with God. Are you telling yourself the passage you read doesn’t apply to you, or is too hard for you to do? Is God asking you to do something you are resisting? We all have an inner narrative that plays constantly. How is your “story” affected by what you read?

What Good Qualities From the Passage Do you Reflect?

Think about any positive qualities in the passage you read that you possess. Ask God to reveal what you do well and how you can use those qualities to bless someone today. It’s often easier to see beauty and goodness in others, but God has gifted you too. If there were no qualities in the passage you read, ask God how you can use your spiritual gifts today to bless others and bring glory to Him.

What is One Small Step I Can Take Today?

Has God spoken to you about something that needs to change in your life, habits or behavior? Has God prompted you to act on something you read? What small step can you take to move in that direction? You don’t need a full plan, just one thing you can do today that will engage the process and avoid procrastination.

What is One Past Event Perceived as a Failure, That Now is Perceived as a Gift?

God has a way of returning us to past pain. He does this to redeem that event in our lives and set us free. Has He laid a past failure on your heart today? Ask Him to show you how He has redeemed it. Explore the ways He used that failure to conform you to the image of Christ. Note the ways you have grown as a result of that past failure.

What is One Thing I Have in Common with Someone I Dislike?

We all have the one person, the one who just rubs us the wrong way. Or perhaps does not agree with our viewpoints. Remember, we are all created in the image of God; loving our neighbor involves honoring that image in another. Ask God to show you common ground with anyone with whom you are struggling today.

What Negative Thought Patterns Do I wish to Transform?

We all hold negative thought patterns. They can be difficult to unravel, the best way to begin is to acknowledge their presence. Negative thought patterns fuel limiting beliefs and stunt our spiritual growth. Take a few moments to reflect on any negative thought patterns that came to mind in your reading time.

Where is God Calling Me to Be More Authentic Today?

In a world where social media tempts us to “post to impress”, explore what it means to be your true self. What does authenticity mean to you? How can you be more authentic in your relationships? Ask God to show you where He wants you to be more authentic today. Take a small step to move you in the direction of authenticity, both to yourself and your values.

Mindfulness Journal Prompts enhance quiet time

As you take time contemplatively with these mindfulness journal prompts for daily quiet time, your awareness will increase. Incorporating mindfulness into your quiet time, helps you focus on what the Holy Spirit seeks to reveal to you from scripture. Too often we can give our Bible reading a ‘quick skim”, especially when a familiar passage presents itself, or if the passage before us includes a tough truth we need to act on. We can tell ourselves we’ll get back to that, but seldom do.

Mindfulness journaling compels us to examine and act on what we read, or what God impressed upon our hearts. Scripture exhorts us in several places to this level of awareness. 2Corinthians 13:5 calls us to “examine” ourselves, “test” ourselves to see if we are in the faith. Paul exhorts believers in 1 Timothy 4:16 to keep a “close watch” on themselves and their teaching/beliefs. Cultivating awareness in our daily quiet time allows us to open our hearts for God’s examination and our understanding to His ways. (Proverbs 20:5) As we grow in this area, we openly examine our own ways and return to God’s ways (Lamentations 3:40). And most importantly, we learn the peace of lingering in His Presence.

Feature Image Photo by My Life Journal on Unsplash