Do you keep a journal? Millions of people worldwide do, whether it’s a specially chosen, precious notebook of some kind, or simply a collection of random thoughts in a daily notepad. People journal for all kinds of reasons, from finding themselves to increasing business productivity, but recent research has revealed a host of mental health and wellness benefits to journaling too – it really does seem to be useful and enjoyable thing to do, for so many reasons.

But what about journaling for spiritual growth? Why would you use your journal for this, and how can you get started?

Journaling for spiritual growth can be very insightful. For a start, it helps you to keep your spiritual thoughts, beliefs and questions organized and somewhat on track. Journaling through a difficult period, spiritually-speaking, will help you next time you face a similar situation, as you will be able to look back and explore your thoughts, feelings and emotions from last time around.

Spiritual journaling is also important for what it doesn’t reveal, as much as what it does reveal. Or, at least, for what it at first may feel uncomfortable to reveal. Journaling can reveal much about your shadow self, which you need to integrate fully into your being in order to express your divine self. Pay attention when you’re journaling with spiritual intent and catch yourself if there are things or issues you deliberately avoid. Ask yourself why and start to gently explore them.

Using a journal can be helpful if you’re trying to discern your true spiritual path too. Over time, you’ll notice recurrent themes or signs in what you written and explored in your journal, which may well point you towards your true calling or provide a route towards a more authentic and satisfying life.

Creating time for spiritual journaling also helps to prioritize your spiritual growth somewhat in your life – something which most of us find very difficult, given the competing demands of work, careers, family, children, partners, friends and hobbies. Having that quiet five or ten minutes each day will help you to create a ritual of peace and calm where your only focus is on your own growth and the expansion of your self-understanding.

If you’re just starting out with journaling, however, it can be daunting to look at a blank page and wonder what on earth you’re supposed to write. That’s where journal prompts come in handy: here’s a list of some you could use to get started with your spiritual journaling habit.

In these prompts, I use the terms ‘spirit’ or ‘the divine’ or ‘the universe’ to fit with my own spiritual concepts; if you are from a different faith background, you may want to substitute these terms with ‘God’ or whatever else is comfortable to you.

40 Spiritual Journaling Prompts

1. Write about the faith or tradition you were raised in: is that still where your path lies? If not, what difficulties have you experienced in breaking away from it?
2. What does the term ‘spiritual growth’ mean to you? How will you know when or if such growth occurs in your life?
3. What lesson has spirit taught you today? Have you learned it well?
4. What signs or synchronicities has the universe sent you today? How did you recognize them?
5. Who do you need to forgive, and for what? Can you do that?
6. Who do you need to seek forgiveness from, and for what? Can you do that?
7. What are you most grateful for in this moment?
8. In which areas of your life do you most need divine insight or guidance right now? How will you seek it?
9. What are your spiritual gifts? Are you using them well? If you don’t know, how will you find out?
10. Write about a moment when you felt most spiritually alive or connected to the divine? What happened? How did you feel?
11. What values or behaviors do you associate with being spiritual? How can you embody those values in your daily life?
12. Which spiritual or religious figure would you most like to spend time with? What would you ask them?
13. What are your darker, shadow traits? How can you work on accepting them as well as your light?
14. How often do you follow your intuition? Write about a time that you did and a time that you didn’t.
15. How can you develop your intuition further? List some practical steps to take.
16. Are there any negative patterns of behavior or attitudes within your family background? How can you break free from these?
17. What do you love about yourself?
18. How can you be kinder to yourself?
19. In what ways do you judge yourself most harshly?
20. List five things which give you a sense of awe or wonder.
21. What negative emotion have you felt today, and how did you deal with it?
22. How can you connect more deeply with the natural world around you?
23. What is your favorite season, and how does it make you feel, spiritually speaking?
24. Do you enjoy spending time alone? If not, why not?
25. How do you prepare for each coming day? Can you create a ritual of starting your day with positivity and gratitude?
26. Choose an element – earth, air, water or fire – and meditate on it. What feelings does it evoke? What wisdom does this element bring to your life?
27. Think of a question you would like to ask your future self. How would you like to be able to respond?
28. Choose a passage from a book of scripture (if appropriate), or an inspirational poem or saying from a teacher of your choice. Meditate on it and write about the insights you gain.
29. What do you believe happens when you die? Are you afraid of death? Why/why not?
30. Do you believe in psychic phenomena such as precognition or clairvoyance? Why/why not?
31. What one thing would make the world a better place, in your view?
32. What one small thing can you do today to change someone’s world?
33. Do you enjoy the company of animals? What do animals teach you about the interconnectedness of life?
34. Within your own spiritual beliefs, pick one issue which you still have doubts about. Why? What would it take to resolve that doubt?
35. What do you fear most?
36. Choose a spiritual technique you would like to learn more about – eg lucid dreaming, astral travel, mindfulness, divination – and list steps you can take to discover more. Bonus – record your findings as you start to explore this technique.
37. How are you connected to the divine and the universe? How do you know?
38. In this moment, can you see, hear, taste, smell or touch spirit energy? How, or why not?
39. Do you believe in soul groups? Are some people meant to be in your life? Who/how do you know?
40. Do you have a predetermined fate or is your life full of free will? Will the universe guide you, or not? How do you know?