Prayer journaling is an essential spiritual practice for me and has been since I was in my late teens. But it was only recently that I realized how much I need journaling to feel connected to God.  

“On a scale from 1 to 10, I’d give us a 3.”

That was my answer when my life & leadership coach recently asked me how things were going in my spiritual life. And by “us” I meant God and me.

“Why so low?” she inquired.

I gave an easy answer: “I haven’t been to church in weeks.”

In March, I started a new job, and I have yet to get a handle on my schedule – hence the absence at church. But I knew that this had little to do with the low score.

When I signed up for life and leadership coaching, I promised myself I wouldn’t spend this money only to spend an hour every other week lying to myself and my coach. So, I got honest.

“But if I’m being real, that can’t be why my spiritual life is in shambles,” I told her. Alice Walker once wrote, “Any God I ever felt in church I brought in with me.” And that’s exactly how I feel, I shared.

“So, what helps you feel close to God?” my coach asked.

“Prayer journaling,” I answered without delay.

As I struggled to adjust to my new life as editor of one of the last few remaining print publications in Birmingham, I not only neglected going to church but prayer journaling was pushed to the back burner too. This chat with my coach showed me that I had to fix this.