Faith and prayer

40 Faith Journal Prompts

These faith journal prompts are for you if you write as a way of praying, or if you want a quiet place to think about what you believe and how you live it. Some of them are about your faith story: where it started, who shaped it, and how it has changed. Others look at the plain days, the commute and the dishes and the hard conversation at work, and ask where faith fits there.

You can use these pages to notice small graces, to name questions you have been carrying, and to look honestly at the practices and people that keep your faith alive. Writing things down can help you see patterns you might miss, and it gives you something to look back on later.

Come as you are. You do not need tidy answers or polished words. Write the way you would talk to a trusted friend, or the way you would pray when no one else is listening. Doubts, gratitude, frustration and hope all belong on the page.

All 40 prompts

Each prompt is marked quick (2 to 5 minutes), reflective (about 10 minutes) or deep (20 minutes or more).

  1. What is one small habit, like a mealtime prayer or a verse on the fridge, that keeps your faith close during the week? quick

  2. Which hymn, song or line from a worship service has been stuck in your head lately, and why do you think it stayed? quick

  3. Name one person whose quiet faith you admire. What is one thing they do that you would like to practice too? quick

  4. Where in your home do you feel most able to pray, and what makes that spot feel that way? quick

  5. Write a three-sentence prayer for the day ahead, naming one task, one person and one worry. quick

  6. What is one question about faith you have been carrying around this week without saying it out loud? quick

  7. Which Bible story did you love as a child, or which one do you return to now? What draws you to it? quick

  8. Think of a moment this week when you chose kindness even though it was hard. How did faith play a part, if it did? quick

  9. What does your faith look like on an ordinary Tuesday, when nothing special is happening? quick

  10. List five ordinary objects in your day, like a coffee mug or a car key, and write a short prayer each one could remind you of. quick

  11. What part of your faith feels easy right now, and what part feels like work? quick

  12. If you could ask your faith community for one thing this month, what would it be? quick

  13. When did faith first feel like your own, rather than something you were handed or simply grew up around? Describe that time. reflective

  14. Write about a time a stranger or new acquaintance showed you something about grace without meaning to. reflective

  15. Which spiritual practice, such as reading scripture, fasting, serving or keeping a sabbath, have you tried and let slip? What made it hard to keep? reflective

  16. How does your faith shape the way you spend money, use your time or treat people at work? Pick one area and be honest. reflective

  17. Describe a season when you felt close to God. What were your days like then, and what was different from now? reflective

  18. Who first taught you to pray? What did their prayers sound like, and what have you kept or changed? reflective

  19. What does community mean in your faith right now: a congregation, a small group, a friend you pray with, or something you are still looking for? reflective

  20. Think about a recent disagreement. How might you bring your faith into that conversation without using it to win? reflective

  21. Write about a doubt you once had that, looking back, made your faith more honest. reflective

  22. Which passage of scripture have you read many times that still puzzles you? Write down what you wonder about it. reflective

  23. How do you hope your faith shows up in the way you care for the people you live with? reflective

  24. In what part of your life do you find it hardest to trust God right now, and what do you usually do with that feeling? reflective

  25. Describe a time you served someone, or were served, in a way that felt like faith in action. reflective

  26. What do you sense your faith is asking of you lately that you would rather not give? Be specific. reflective

  27. Write your faith story in three chapters: where it began, a turning point, and where you are today. deep

  28. Write a letter to God about the part of your life you have kept out of your prayers. Say what you have been reluctant to say. deep

  29. Think of a time your faith was tested by loss, illness or disappointment. What did you hold onto, and what did you let go of? deep

  30. How has your picture of God changed since childhood? Write about what you used to believe and what you hold now. deep

  31. Which beliefs do you hold because you have wrestled with them, and which do you hold mostly out of habit? Write about one of each. deep

  32. Write about a time you felt let down by a church or by other believers. What would you want to say to them now, and what do you need for yourself? deep

  33. Imagine yourself much older, looking back. How would you hope the people around you describe the way you lived your faith? deep

  34. Write a letter to your younger self at the moment your faith felt most fragile. What would you want that person to know? deep

  35. What would it look like to love one difficult person in your life the way you hope to be loved? Describe one concrete step you could take. deep

  36. Where do your faith and your daily work meet, and where do they seem to pull in different directions? Explore both. deep

  37. Write about a prayer that was not answered the way you hoped. How did you live with that, and how do you think about it today? deep

  38. What would feel missing from your days if your faith were gone tomorrow, and what does that tell you about what matters most to you? deep

  39. Write a prayer for the next season of your life, naming the practices, people and questions you want to carry forward. deep

How to use these prompts

Pick a prompt that catches your attention, or start near the top of the list, where the prompts are lighter, and move down as you feel ready. The quick prompts take a few minutes, the reflective ones about ten, and the deep ones twenty minutes or more, so choose one that fits the time you have. Many people like a short prompt with their morning coffee and a deeper one on a quiet evening or a Sunday afternoon. You might open with a one-line prayer before you write. If you feel stuck, write the prompt itself at the top of the page and then write whatever comes, even "I don't know." You can also answer in a list, write it as a letter to God, or simply set the prompt aside and come back to it another day.

Questions

Do I need to be sure about what I believe to use these prompts?

No. Many of these prompts make room for questions and doubts, and you can write honestly about what feels uncertain. A faith journal is a place to think, not a test you have to pass.

How is a faith journal different from a prayer journal?

A prayer journal is usually written to God, while a faith journal can also be written about your faith, your story and your questions. Many people mix the two, and these prompts work either way.

Should I include Bible verses in my faith journal?

You can if it helps. Some people copy out a passage that has been on their mind and write their thoughts beneath it, while others simply note the reference and move on.

What if writing about my faith brings up hurt from a church or from other believers?

Go gently and write only as much as feels right that day. You can stop at any time, and if the hurt feels heavy, it may help to talk with someone you trust.

Can I use these prompts with a small group or youth group?

Yes. Choose a few of the lighter prompts for group sharing, and give people the freedom to keep their written answers private if they prefer.

Scripture to journal with