As an aspiring journalist, there are days where the words just flow directly from my mind, to my fingers, to the keyboard, and they easily end up on the page. On the other end of the spectrum, there are days where there are simply no words at all. There are no ideas, no sense of direction, and it feels that all of the style and creativity that I have worked to develop has disappeared. Then there are days where it is a mix between the two. On those days, I have an idea and I don’t know how to express it or I have too many ideas swirling around in my head, and I keep changing and re-writing what I want to say. Nonetheless, it is frustrating and I get through all of these days by journaling. Ironically.

The journal that I keep is not however simply filled with ideas and things to write about, that would be in a notebook. The journal that I keep is a religious journal. It is another way that I personally communicate with God when I don’t use prayer as my outlet for communication, and it is honestly one of the best ways to communicate with Him.

Many college students, who are just starting out on their religious journey, have a difficult time with praying in public. I know I did. When you are sitting or standing with your head bowed, hands clasped together, eyes closed while looking like you are talking to yourself, you definitely get a sense that people may be looking at you weird or that they are going to judge you. It is okay to feel that way, and that is where a journal can come into play.

A journal is a place where all you need is a pen or pencil and you can write to God and express your thanks and give your praise to Him like you would in prayer, but it is not as public. The best thing about a journal is that it provides you with the opportunity to develop it into more than just a prayer journal.

A prayer journal can become a religious journal where you communicate with God about however you are feeling or whatever you are questioning. The pages of my journal are filled with the thoughts I have for articles that I know I have to write in addition to me asking for more guidance or for answers to my questions about my writing. The pages are also filled with the thoughts and feelings I have every day that come with going through life as a college student, and ultimately, it helps me as a writer and a source of inspiration.

The key to journaling and being able to experience its full effect is being consistent. It is definitely difficult at first to remember to journal every day. Therefore, it may help to set a reminder on your phone or an alarm to remind you to do it. After a while, it will just become part of your daily routine. God wants us to communicate with him and speak with him even though he is always watching over us. A religious journal is a great way to dedicate time to Him and express how we truly feel about our current situations.