10 Of The Best Free Morning Journal Prompts To Grow Closer To God
Looking for morning journal prompts to help you grow closer to God?
Grab your coffee mug and let’s sit here at my kitchen table. There’s room next to me. Do you prefer a chair or the window seat?
First, can I tell you how glad I am that you’re here? You’re brave, you know – brave for showing up with a tender heart and a longing for more. Brave for being curious about God, whether you’ve known Him for years or you’re just now reaching in His direction.
And guess what? This longing to connect with God in the quiet of a morning is something that Jesus Himself modeled. How cool is that?
As Mark tells us, “very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35 NIV).
What a powerful example! Now, I’m not saying Jesus will wake you up at “dark o’thirty” every day for a holy meetup (though He might!). The important thing here isn’t the time, it’s the Who.
It’s all about meeting with God.
And having a few morning journal prompts will help you grow closer to the One who made you, who holds you, and who loves you!
Try them out!
10 Morning Journal Prompts to Help You Grow Closer to God
Write these morning journal prompts down in your journal, and work through them this morning … or over the next several mornings.
- Lord, this is what’s on my heart today . . .
- Here’s how I saw You at work yesterday . . .
- These are the lies I’m tempted to believe this morning . . .
- What truth from God combats those lies?
- God, what do you want me to know about You today?
- What do I need to release to You right now?
- This morning, I thank You for . . .
- Here’s where I am in need of healing today . . .
- God, what would it look like for me to live with holy purpose today? I’m listening …
- God, how can I love You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength today?
But, Jennifer, I’m Not a Journaler!
If you feel like you’re back in freshman English class, staring at a blank screen with a bad case of writer’s block, let’s pause right here. Journaling isn’t something you’re good or bad at. It’s something you either do or don’t do.
Maybe you’re not a journaler (yet) because no one told you that you can be. But now this tug to grow closer to God has your attention.
Here’s the thing: Journaling is not about perfect handwriting or correctly spelled words. It’s not about punctuation or grammar or any of the things you were graded on in school. It’s not about how much you write. It’s only that you write.
Putting pen to paper means that you’re a journaler.
Writing down your prayers, your gratitude, or the swirling thoughts as you process through something with God . . . all this means you are a journaler. Journaling can actually be a form of prayer.
What’s more: journaling can be digital. If you’d rather open a note on your phone or type on a computer, you are just as much a journaler as someone who prefers paper.
Repeat after me: I am a journaler.
Then, pick a prompt and simply begin writing. Keep your conversation with God casual, like you’d talk to a friend.
God Promises to Come Close
If you and I were both at my kitchen table, this is the point where I’d lean over and whisper a promise in your ear:
“The Lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.”
I want you to believe down to your toes this morning that God is moved by your desire to be closer to Him. He wants nothing more than to overwhelm you with His kindness, His keen attention, His bottomless love, and His endless mercy.
Keep seeking.
Keep knocking.
Keep journaling.
Journaling helps you get closer to God because it creates space to meet with Him.
Bring your expectancy, and He’ll meet you.
Bring your thanks, and He’ll meet you.
Bring your worries, your questions, your grief. God longs to meet you there.
Just as Jesus made a habit of time with God, so too can you, my friend.
Five Minutes a Morning
Before you go, I wanted to remind you that I wrote a guided journal, called Stuff I’d Only Tell God. It’s a tool to help you connect with God in the mornings. It’s filled with hundreds of morning journal prompts. And with just five minutes a morning, you can learn a lot about yourself, and about God, by journaling.
You can journal any time of day, of course. But journaling in the morning, before the world wakes up and tries to steal your attention, is the perfect time to spend a few moment penning your thoughts with God.
Perhaps someone–a friend, a family member, a co-worker, or a neighbor–came to mind as you journaled. Would you consider sharing these morning journaling prompts to help her get closer to God?
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time of day to journal?
You can journal in any pocket of time you’re relatively undistracted. Setting the ambiance (burning a candle, sitting by an open window, finding a cozy corner) may be helpful. Personally, I love to journal in the morning because meeting with God then sets the tone for the rest of my day.
How often should I journal?
The more often you journal, the more benefits you reap: clarity, gratitude, contentment, connection with God. While there’s no rule that journaling has to be a daily habit, consistency not only helps you build the habit, it keeps your conversation with God going.
How much should I write?
Again, there’s no rule here. You might write sentences or small phrases, whereas someone else might write pages. Lean into the time with Jesus, and write until you feel finished with the journal prompt.
Should I use a pencil or pen?
If you’ll be tempted to erase, I’d recommend a pen. Choose one that feels great in your hand and writes smoothly. If a colored pen makes you happy, pick something bright.
What should I write in?
There are endless great choices here. You can journal in a leftover notebook from last year’s school stash, a lined journal from the grocery store, a pretty, stay-flat journal . . . or even on the back of a receipt paper! Or, scrap the paper, and use a notes app on your phone or a Google doc on your computer.
Article by Jennifer Dukes Lee with Twyla Franz
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